Reluctant Hero
by Meralin
Summary: A tale of how one man must embrace his past to fight for the future of all; a tale of broken loyalties and leadership, and the choices one must make. A variant novelization of FFT. Rated "M" for violence, language, and adult situations.
1. Forward and Disclaimer

The purpose of this chapter is just to get a few points out of the way.

First:** Final Fantasy Tactics** is a registered trademark of Square (now Square Enix). All trademarked characters, locations, themes and ideas are used without permission in a work of fan-created fiction. The following story has been done without profit and for purely entertainment purposes.

Second: While I'd like to say this is a novelization of FFT, that would be only a half-truth. I'm going to follow the basic plot of the original game and even use some original script, but will be deviating in various points. If you're looking for a true novelization, please look elsewhere, but if you have an open mind, please read.

Third: In respect with reviews, if you feel the need to insult or "flame" me, be my guest. It's a free country. But, like everyone, I would appreciate actual feedback, in particular in how the paragraphs flow together and the overall presentation of each chapter. I do have a wonderful editor (Thank You ladybugangel9!) who helps with grammar and punctuation, but if you do catch something, you can let me know.

Did you read that first point? Good. You won't see it anywhere else in this story.

On a side note, I tried to make the story easily understandable by those who have not played this wonderful game (and if you have not, go out and get it now!). The story will focus around Ramza primarily, with Agrias being the "co-star", so to speak. I have no plans on adding in scenes from the game that do not have one or both of these two present; so those who have not played this game will miss out on some non-vital clips of plot. Everything important I will work in, of course.

One of the major-minor differences I have made with this story is the starting age of Ramza (and everyone else, accordingly); Ramza will be presented as eighteen in my story, and don't expect a flashback to his training days, which he ended at the age of sixteen. This means that he has been on his own for two years. Other main characters ages could be different as well.

I'm sure questions that deal with characters jobs will come up; all characters may at some point be referred as their primary job (calling Gafgarion a dark knight, for example), and that is what they will identify themselves as. Most of the characters will have a secondary class; it will be just as powerful and skillful as the primary. If Gafgarion took wizard as his second class, for example, he would still be identified as a dark knight, but have abilities of both classes, depending on how skillful he is.

It is difficult balancing out "HP", "MP", "Level", and "Class Level" into realistic terms, as well as how a Phoenix Down, the Revive ability, and the Raise spell is plausible; I want to have a sense of mortality throughout the story. The three abilities mentioned above are used not when someone is dead, but when they are near death and dying; one other ability has this property.

For those who are wondering what version of FFT I am using, let it be known it is the original, made for the PS; thus you will hear, for example, classes referred to "priest" and "wizard" instead of "white mage" and "black mage".

Lastly, about updates; I don't have a schedule planned. I'll update when I update. Could be a few days, or weeks, or months. Writing is a hobby of mine; I have life and work to take care of first.

That's all I can think of at the moment; if anyone has other questions, feel free to private message me.

Have fun and enjoy!


	2. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 1

"Looks like rain," a young man muttered, casting a sideways glance to his leader; the man, wearing black full plate armor, the staple of black knights, gave a non-committal grunt. "Bad omen," the young man finished.

"Superstition coming from you, Ramza?" the dark knight replied, looking at Ramza, dressed in a simple suite of brigandine armor, with a small frown. "You should know better then to believe in that crap. Fits you, though; always taking shit from everyone. Grow a backbone, man." A sneer accompanied the insult.

Ramza shrugged; it wasn't superstition, something in his gut told him. "As you wish, Gafgarion," he replied meekly. Ramza knew this would infuriate the older man.

At Ramza's remark, Gafgarion did indeed snarl and spit at Ramza's feet, muttering about weaklings. Ramza was used to the verbal abuse by now. He'd been traveling with Gafgarion and his lackey, Rad, for about six months now, and Gafgarion had developed a distinct distaste for the newest addition. Six months as a mercenary, a man who sold his sword for money, and two years since… Ramza grimaced; not an honorable job, but a job nonetheless, and the best part was Ramza did not have to lead. He couldn't. Not anymore.

Ramza forced his mind from reminiscing about the past, and instead inspected his allies to whom he had been introduced a few days ago. The leader of the royal guard, Agrias, was standing in front of the main doors to the monastery, tapping her foot impatiently. She shifted in her plate armor, the seal of her order inlayed with silver engraved on her chest piece; helmetless, she was twisting her long, golden hair to accompany the beat of her foot. Her two knights, Lavian and Alicia, were standing at ease quietly near her; the Princess had been in there for longer then originally planned. Alicia, the younger, also shifted in her suit of chain armor, mimicking her commanding officer, still unfamiliar with the weight and feel of her gear. Like her admired officer, she also went without helm, her short brown hair swaying lightly in the wind. The more disciplined Lavian remained still, showing no fatigue or impatience; she wore her mythril gear comfortably, showing her experience, and unlike her comrades she had an open-face helm covering her dark hair. Rad, his fellow mercenary, was seemingly dozing next to the church, lounging contently in his light vest, small mythril plates woven into it. Ramza could sense the rising tension between Gafgarion and Agrias, who had been glaring at each-other since the two groups met.

Ramza sighed; this was supposed to be an easy assignment; meet with Princess Olivia and her guard, safely escort her to Orbonne Monastery for her pilgrimage, then get her back to the capital. They were behind schedule by nearly an hour, and Gafgarion was not going to wait much longer. It was getting dark, and he was not one to spend the night in the mud.

Agrias had quietly watched the verbal banter between the two mercenaries. As much as she hated to agree with anything Gafgarion said, she assessed Ramza the same way. The young man was a pushover, and wondered how he could be a competent fighter. Something about Ramza irritated her from day one. He was polite and courteous, spoke quietly and clearly with precise punctuation, but lacked any ambition. He would follow an order from anyone, even her lowest ranked soldier, Alicia. He almost always had a small smile on his face. He was smart, too smart for a commoner. His attitude was… innocent in a way. He kept odd company; his two fellow comrades, Gafgarion and Rad were everything Ramza was not: mean spirited; she could not wait until this awful assignment was over.

Agrias focused her attention to the quickly approaching Gafgarion. He looked pissed; daylight was fading, and Ramza's prediction was true: it was starting to rain. Gafgarion stopped a few feet in front of the waiting holy knight; Agrias's skin crawled as he lewdly inspected her from top to bottom, an unpleasant grin on his face. His voice was full of silky malice. "It's been an hour past our scheduled departure. As it stands, were going to get to Dorter hours past nightfall. Unless you want to spend the night in your bedroll, we have to leave." Gafgarion again let his eyes roam Agrias's body. "Unless, you want to join me in mine," he finished with a grin.

Agrias's eyes widened with shock, and she could hear Lavian hiss with anger. Agrias glared at Gafgarion; she wanted to slug the man. "Get ready to move out," she snapped to him. "I'll get the Princess." Agrias looked to her knights to see that they had heard her command. Lavian, teeth still ground in anger, nodded, and pulled a blushing, wide eyed Alicia along to where their equipment was located. Being the senior of the two, Lavian quietly ordered Alicia directions to pack and prepare everything. Agrias noticed that Ramza was looking at Gafgarion with a frown on his face. His eyes locked with Agrias's; Gafgarion's rude comment had sparked something dormant in Ramza's eyes. Agrias's breath caught; just for a second, one small moment, she could see something within Ramza's rusty orbs. Agrias, breath catching, saw that figment grow and strengthen; for a heart-beat Ramza stood strait and proud, drawing breath to say something. Agrias waited for it, some hidden desire to hear the boy speak out. But Ramza's nerve failed, and he broke eye contact; as quickly as it was there, it was gone, and again a meek boy stood there.

Turning away from the holy knight, Ramza walked away. Agrias kept her eyes locked onto Ramza as he approached her senior knight, Lavian, bowed to her slightly, and asked if he could assist them in preparing. Lavian silently took stock of the young man in front of her, said something in her soft voice and pointed to some of the heaviest boxes and bags that needed to be loaded up on Her Highness's carriage. Lavian smiled; those objects required both her and Alicia to move. This should keep the mercenary busy. But Ramza only nodded, and without complaint prepared to move the crates.

Hesitating in the entrance to the monastery, Agrias watched for a few seconds as Ramza lifted objects heavier then she expected he could handle, and silently set them on the carriage. Lavian also arched an eyebrow at Ramza's unevaluated strength, while Alicia watched on with her seemingly never closing wide eyes. Agrias noted that Gafgarion and Rad made no move to help Ramza or her girls with the luggage. Agrias snorted; she doubted those two would help their crippled mother. They just leaned back on the church wall, watching Ramza sweat. Turning her eyes once more to Ramza, she noticed he was assisting Alicia, who was struggling with a particularly bulky sack; as the object was packed, the girl thanked Ramza, who just gave a smile and moved to another crate. Alicia was left next to the carriage, dazzled by the man's smile, willing her blushing cheeks to calm.

"Seems Chivalry is not completely dead," muttered Agrias as she finally moved through the entryway, leaving the packing and preparing for her knights… and Ramza.

Agrias, a scowl slowly forming, made her way down the church aisle; ever since she was told that she would be accompanied by Gafgarion and his crew, she was in a perpetually bad mood. She was furious with her orders to let Gafgarion accompany her and the Princess. Her scowl deepened; that was not the first time she felt Gafgarion's or Rad's eyes on her. The two were peeping toms, always leering at women. She even caught Rad giving the Princess a look. Her hands clenched; these two men were disrespectful of everyone! Ramza was different, though; hands unclenching, she recalled that he had not harassed anyone and even came to Alicia's defense when Rad was particularly aggressive. This man confused her greatly, able to show concern for her knights and complete lack there of in a moment; how did he end up working for Gafgarion, of all people? She shook her head; now's not the time to think of foolery! She tried to force herself to stop thinking about the man; it was frustratingly difficult.

"Pull yourself together, girl!" she quietly scolded herself, her scowl reaching epic proportions.

"Your face will remain that way if you hold it like that for too long, you know," came an amused, soft voice from ahead of Agrias. Startled, Agrias looked up, her scowl melting off her face. She had made it to the altar without realizing it, and in front of her stood the high priest, Simon. The Princess still knelt before the altar, head bowed in prayer.

"That's an old wives' tale, Simon" Agrias replied, a flush covering her cheeks. "Besides, I have lots on my mind."

"I'm sure you do, child," agreed Simon solemnly, grinning slightly at Agrias's flushed face.

Agrias, realizing she was slightly flushed, quickly cleared her face of emotion. Agrias turned to the princess and spoke with a soft voice, "Princess Olivia, the day grows late; we must be off to get to Dorter before the night falls"

There was a silence from the Princess, as she seemingly ignored her guard and finished her worship. Agrias opened her mouth to speak again when she heard a loud clamor of the door opening, and loud boots making their way down the aisle. She looked sharply at the approaching Gafgarion, Rad, and Ramza. Her scowl returned as she glared at the three of them; Gafgarion and Rad had smug, disrespectful look on their faces, while Ramza looked… apologetic? That threw Agrias off guard, her scowl softening for a moment before it came back full force as Gafgarion stated, "It's time to go. It's been over an hour, and _Ramza's_ done packing." He turned to the man he insulted, "Maybe you should have been a porter." Ramza took both insults with stride, staring blankly at the dark knight.

Agrias hissed in air; the audacity! They should not be in here; the agreement was that they would wait outside. She opened her mouth to reprimand the fools, when she noticed Ramza shake his head to her slightly, nodded with his chin behind her, and gracefully fell to knee. She turned; the Princess had just stood, finished from her prayer. Agrias herself went to a knee, bowing her head. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Rad had slowly knelt, while the knave, Gafgarion, just bowed his head. Agrias ground her teeth; Ramza was the only man to show genuine respect!

Olivia stared at the four warriors; she has dealt with condescending aristocrats her whole life, and knew when she was getting respect and when she was not; she frowned at Gafgarion and Rad. She had never felt comfortable around the two, who at some point during the trip had cornered her on her own. Ramza was the only one who did not try to talk to her; he stayed a respectful distance away, and always assisted her when needed, but never made eye contact; he head was always bowed, as a servant. Pushing away her thoughts, she looked to Agrias; Olivia knew that the two parties mixed together like water and oil, and realized that she could no longer stay in this sanctuary for fear that the insults could lead to more violent acts. For the past few hours, she had gotten some peace of mind and soul. She couldn't be selfish anymore. With a practiced, commanding voice she said, "Enough! I am done; we will be on our way."

Simon turned to her and gave her a gentile hug, "Go with God."

Olivia smiled back at the kind old priest. "You too, Simon."

As the priest and princess said their farewells, Agrias hissed quietly to the dark knight, "I see you have no honor, knave; next time show your respect, and respect our agreements!"

Gafgarion sneered in her face, "I'm hired by the Hokuten; I'm not obliged to show respect to you."

Ramza knew that Gafgarion was baiting the holy knight, and to avoid anymore insults, or bloodshed, he moved next to Agrias; Agrias, seething with rage by now, sputtered, "What? How dare you!" and grasped her sword instinctively. Ramza put a hand on her forearm, catching her gaze and holding it. Agrias, trapped in rust eyes, felt her anger fade. "Now's neither the time nor place," Ramza whispered. Agrias stared, again seeing a shadow within his eyes. More forceful, though, was his voice; it was gentile and kind, like his gaze, but gave an undertone of warning, telling her to calm. He spoke like a leader did… "Who are you?" Agrias said slowly in an undertone, quiet enough to reach only Ramza's ears. Ramza twitched, and confusion spread in his eyes. He gently released Agrias arm, and lowed his gaze, docile once again. Hesitant, he shifted, thinking of some reply.

Before a word could be said, a loud clear horn note sounded through the grounds. Agrias gasped; that was a call for aid. Drawing her sword, she sprinted for the door, shouting, "The enemy approaches! Stay with Simon, Princess"

Simon looked with concern to the Princess. "Prince Goltana's men?" Olivia shrugged and watched Agrias run out the doors; a few moments passed, without Gafgarion acting. She watched as Gafgarion lazily stretched and slowly strode to the doors.

"What one must do to make money!" He said with an uncaring smile. Ramza was coldly appraising the dark knight; people's lives were at danger, allies could die, but Gafgarion was only concerned about getting paid. Ramza swelled with anger. Gafgarion noticed Ramza staring at him. "What, Ramza, you got a problem?" Ramza was silent for a moment, shrinking into himself again. "…No. I'm no Knight; just a mercenary like you."

"Damn right you are. My mercenary; don't forget it," venom coated Gafgarion's words. With a condescending air, he ordered, "Ramza, Rad, let's move out."

Olivia watched the three men go, gaze lingering on Ramza until they exited the doors. Being close to the man and hearing him speak reminded her of someone from long ago, but she could not remember whom. Violence would erupt within these holy grounds soon, and one or more of her bodyguards could perish; she clasped her hands in prayer. "Oh God…"


	3. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 2

Agrias rushed outside the sanctuary of the monastery to take stock of the situation; her two knights were nearby, shields out and swords grasped, but not yet drawn. On the other side of the grounds, a dozen warriors stood. Agrias grimaced; she was seriously outnumbered, even with her reluctant allies. The fight, if it came to that, would be two to one. She took a few steps forward, and heard the three mercenaries exit the monastery doors. She glanced backwards; Gafgarion already had his sword out, and was grinning like a madman. Rad had drawn two daggers and was licking one menacingly. Ramza was the only one to stand calmly by, seemingly awaiting orders. Irritation bubbled up from Agrias; even with impending danger ahead, the boy carried himself casually. She snorted; the fool had only a simple sword strapped to his back. She knew there was time to parley; if they were to die, the enemy would have already attacked.

The lead Knight, a black lion crest adorning his shield, stepped forward, and demanded, "Give us the Princess! There is no point in resisting, you're outnumbered!" The man hesitated slightly, knowing the reputation of both Gafgarion and the Holy Knight Agrias. "Don't give me an excuse to scar that pretty face of yours!"

Agrias frowned; so they were after the Princess. Good, the longer she "decided" if she would hand over the Princess, the longer they had time to think of a way out of this, or a strategy. She called out, "We must think on it!" The knight, startled by her reply, dumbly nodded, and waited. "Idiots," Agrias muttered.

Agrias could feel Gafgarion and Ramza settle next to her; she turned her head to them. "They're going to split their forces, try to get us in a pincer. If we group together, we'll be surrounded. We should cover both halves of the field, three on each side," Gafgarion reasoned softly.

Agrias, slowly nodding, said, "Agreed. My troops and I will cover the left; Lavian and Alicia are already readying themselves there." Agrias looked to her feet, thinking of ways to defend against the attack. Gafgarion interrupted her thoughts.

"Looks like a change of plans." Agrias looked up, and noticed a conspicuously empty space that Ramza had occupied. Following Gafgarion's gaze, she saw that Ramza had joined with her girls and was speaking to them quietly. Agrias snorted; "Guess you're with us then," Gafgarion said smugly, referring to himself and Rad. The three were already on the right side of the field; Gafgarion twirled his sword in his hands. "If we have nothing else to say, I think it's time to gut those fools like pigs." Raising his voice, he called out, "Kill them all! Rad, Ramza, no quarter, no survivors! Let the blood bath begin!" Rad howled with glee; Ramza ignored Gafgarion's call, still speaking with Lavian and Alicia.

Agrias stared at Gafgarion with horror, "Nonsense! There's no need to kill them! That's just what Goltana wants us to do! Let them surrender, or let them go!" Gafgarion ignored her, and he and Rad sprinted ahead. Agrias noted that Ramza and her girls had finished their discussion and were slowly stalking the Nanten soldiers. She forcefully drew her attention away from her knights; she had opponents approaching.

At Gafgarion's call, the Nanten Knights knew no parley was going to occur, and, correct to Gafgarions assessment, split into two groups, six men each, running down both sides of the field. Agrias moved forward, last in her "team's" rush, appraising the troops against her; two archers, two knights, and two squires, all male. Gafgarion was engaging one of the squires, a knight a step behind; Rad was blowing past the second squire, making a b-line to one of the archers, daggers grasped and ready. "Guess that leaves me with those two," Agrias mused, referring to a knight who was approaching her, and the second archer, who was locking an arrow on her.

Agrias waited calmly for the knight; she'd have to rely on her reflexes and armor for the archer. Holding her shield forward, and readying her sword, she posed to strike the knight once he got into range; the knight dashed in, sword slashing. A deft block with her shield, to which Agrias countered with a stab of her own, hoping to end this quickly. Her hopes were dashed as the knight skillfully parried her attack. A few more blows were exchanged, each knight trying to find a gap in the wall of steel; seeing an opening after long moments, she prepared to lunge. A sudden force slammed into her thigh and she felt intense pain; she forgot about the archer! She staggered, and the knight, using the distraction, swung his sword into her side; the armor prevented her from being hacked, but could do nothing to cushion the blow. Shrugging off the pain, she bluffed, pretending to go down; the knight, falling for the trap, foolishly leaned forward, to land a finishing blow. Agrias nimbly darted aside, and further damaging her wounded leg, lunged forward, her sword penetrating the knight's weak spot and killing the man.

She kicked the body off her sword, and lifted her shield to catch an arrow from the archer. The archer, worry written over his face, drew another arrow and took careful aim; Agrias staggered towards the man, her leg hindering her movement. Another arrow fired, and deflected by her shield; Agrias stopped a dozen feet away from the archer and raised her sword. The archer, confused by her actions, readied another arrow; before he could release it, Agrias cried to the heavens, "Stasis Sword!" and crystals from above rained down and struck her opponent. The Holy attack inflicted heavy damage to the archer, and, discarding his longbow, he turned and fled the field.

As Agrias was starting her fight, Ramza, being at the other end of the battleground, was busy calculating his chances; he knew what he could do, and, after his brief chat with Lavian and Alicia, knew their fighting capabilities. Ramza looked at the approaching six figures; two knights, three squires, and a lone chemist in the back. Ramza blinked with surprise; the chemist was the only female of the troop. That was odd. The Nanten were not known for their acceptance of female troops; there must be a story behind this one. Ramza nodded, plan already formed. Walking next to Lavian, he muttered from the side of his mouth, "I'm going to take out the chemist; can't have her undoing the damage we've done." Ramza looked to Lavian, who met his gaze "It'd be best if you two remained back on the defensive. Once I take out the chemist, I'll flank them" Alicia, who was listening in by this time, just nodded; sounded like a good plan, and she was trained in defensive maneuvers. Lavian, a little distrustful, just gave a non-committal grunt. It was good enough for Ramza, who, with a smile, sprinted forward, letting out a loud shout as he went.

Lavian, thinking that Ramza would be cut down before he could even get to the chemist, there were five men to get through after all, was soon amazed; Ramza, twisting and weaving like a snake, scampered past the five men, all taking swings but none getting contact. Lavian's amazement deepened when he heard the man _laugh_ as he went through the gauntlet of blades. The shocked chemist found herself with an obviously crazy man charging her, the wall of bodies that kept her safe gone. The other five Nanten were also startled at the quickness of the squire; their healer was threatened, but out of range; besides, they had two attractive knights to subdue. One of the knights, the senior by age, called out, "Take 'em alive boys, so we can enjoy 'em later!" Lavian, hearing the challenge, ground her teeth; this was not uncommon of the Nanten. She looked to Alicia, who did not register what the knight meant; gripping her sword tighter, Lavian swore Alicia would not have that fate.

Ramza also heard the statement made by the knight; it caused him to falter and spin around, anger bursting on his face. All five Nanten were stalking the two knights; time was a luxury Ramza did not have. Turning back, he needed to take out the chemist quickly so he can help his allies; the chemist was far from being distracted. Instead of drawing her dagger for defense, as a chemist would usually do, she instead raised both hands into the sky, chanting softly. Ramza swore; he did not expect her to use magic. He sprinted forward, dipping down to grab a sizable rock along the way. Magic users had one fatal flaw: their spell took concentration, and if Ramza could break hers, her spell would fizzle. Still running, Ramza used the momentum to fling the rock at the chemist. His aim was true, and the rock struck her right in the forehead; the stone did little damage, but it did break her concentration. His sword drawn and ready, Ramza closed the distance to the chemist; as he did he saw her face flush with fear. It was not the fear of impending death that scarred the chemist's face, but of something beyond Ramza's back. Ramza, thinking that an enemy might have snuck upon him, sidestepped slightly, and instead of crashing into the chemist, impaling her on his blade, he glided to her side, spinning, and slammed the pommel of his sword into the back of her skull. Ramza finished the turn, ending behind the falling chemist, crouched in a defensive position and facing the foe that was behind him.

Ramza blinked; no foe stood there, no sword hurling down to strike him. Only empty space faced him, and beyond the clash of metal where his two allies fought. He did notice that one of the enemy knights, the one who had spoke, was taking a breather from the scuffle and was staring back at him; no, not at him, but at the felled woman at his feet. Ramza was startled at the sheer rage and disgust that was visible on the man's face as he glared at the chemist. Comprehension struck; the girl was frightened of this knight. Why, he did not know; perhaps her failure, or maybe darker reasons. Ramza frowned at his down, but alive, opponent; a story indeed, one he'll have to hear. He needed to know how his allies were doing; looking up again he saw that Lavian and Alicia were fairing well, having one squire on the ground, blood flowing from a head wound. Ramza grinned; so far so good. Another sudden shout, and Ramza sprinted to help.

Lavian, not knowing Ramza was en route, and feeling like they were getting nothing done, surged forward, breaking from Alicia. Alicia cried out in alarm; they were to stay together. Lavian, ignoring the call, reached one of the squires who had been hanging back, lobbing stones at the two knights. Lavian, a bruise forming around her eye from one of those stones, had enough of the man. She dodged past the enemy knight, and swung at the squire. The squire was not as good with his sword as with stones, and within a few clashes of blades, was fatally wounded by Lavian's strike. She smirked victoriously, turning to Alicia to check her status; it was then that Lavian knew that her pride had cost her.

Alicia, no longer supported by her rock, Lavian, was surrounded by three men, two of them skilled knights; she was starting to panic, knowing that unless she got aid, she would be in trouble. Her wits not yet lost, she dodged, blocked, and parried the incoming attacks for as long as she could. Gaining a bit of confidence as she successfully fended off the three men, she started when she heard Lavian call to her; she glanced in Lavian's direction, and the three men quickly took advantage of her mistake. All three blades crashed into various parts of Alicia's armor; the blows were meant to stun, and not kill, and they did their job well. Alicia fell to a knee, one of the blows hit her side and winded her; she looked up to see a sword falling to her head. Alicia closed her eyes, waiting for the blow; it never came. Instead there was a crashing sound as Lavian threw herself bodily on the knight who was to land the hit. Alicia's eyes wrenched open and saw Lavian tussle with the knight on the ground; the two other warriors, initially startled, quickly readied their own weapons, but this time, instead of someone tackling them, Alicia found herself in the protective grasp of Ramza, tumbling away from the tussle.

Ramza, rolling off of Alicia into a crouching position, gave her a careful look-over. "You ok?"

Alicia nodded, "Ya"

"Good," Ramza replied with a smile. Ramza, again grabbing a nearby stone, lobbed it at the standing knight, drawing attention to himself. The ploy worked, and instead of joining in the grapple, both knight and squire charged Ramza. Standing protectively in front of Alicia, Ramza fended both men's blows, laughter his reply to their curses. Alicia, trembling slightly from her near death experience, watched with growing admiration as Ramza, still only armed with his basic broad sword, maneuvered the blade past the squire's defense to efficiently run him through. Alicia gaped, wide eyed at Ramza; the cold, calculated, and sudden way he killed was striking due to his childish nature. The knight, using the death blow of his ally as a distraction, stabbed at Ramza's side. Having no shield to deflect with, Ramza threw his weight _into_ the blow; the blade bit deep, but Ramza used the momentum to counterattack, skewering the knight's neck with his own sword; blood gushed, covering both Ramza and Alicia.

Alicia, nauseous at the sight and smell of blood, stared at Ramza now with horror; how could this man so coldly kill when he had such a soft smile? Ramza, grin on his face, glanced to Alicia to see if she was unharmed; his smile melted as he saw the look of fear on her face. Now frowning, Ramza opened his mouth, to say something, anything, to remove the fear from the girl's face, when both heard a scream from Lavian. Whipping around, Ramza saw the knight had won the grapple and ran Lavian through the gut with his sword, pinning her to the ground. The wound Lavian sustained was fatal if not treated immediately.

Alicia howled in sorrow at the sight of her friend struggling helplessly to remove the blade; Ramza roared in fury. Charging the last knight, Ramza abandoned finesse to brutally hack at the knights head; the knight brought up his shield, thinking that Ramza's wild blow will ricochet off of it. The unfortunate knight was wrong, as the sword clove through his sturdy shield and dense helmet, ending deep into the knight's brain, his head nearly torn in two. As the threat was ending, Alicia was crawling to her wounded friend's side.

"P..pull… it… out," Lavian whispered, choking up blood; the steel in her body hurt so much; she wanted it gone. Alicia, numb with fear and sorrow, tried to gently pull the sword out. Lavian cried in pain; but when Alicia stopped, gasped out again, "Get this out of me!" There was pain, as Alicia complied, and then nothing. Lavian heard the sword clang away; she could breath easier. Looking up at Alicia, she smiled; Alicia had put her hands on her gaping wound, applying pressure, waiting for Agrias to arrive. Agrias knew some white magic; she can make Lavian better. Looking up, searching the grounds for Agrias, Alicia saw the holy knight sprinting in her direction, having finished with her own fight and noticing Lavian's wound. Lavian, dazed and loosing consciousness, knew that her leader was too far, the wound she had was too severe. She felt movement to her other side; Ramza was there.

Ramza, having left his sword stuck in the knight's head, collapsed next to Lavian, across from Alicia, laying his hands above Alicia's to help clot the bleeding. Alicia was weeping, tears running down her face, panicking at the thought of loosing Lavian. Ramza's heart broke; he saw Agrias running to them, and would be here soon, but not soon enough, and knew Lavian was running out of time. The sight flung his mind into the past; he knew he could do something, and knew the price it would cost. Mind set, Ramza gently spoke to Alicia, "Ease your fears, Lavian will not pass today." His voice broke through the buzzing in Alicia's head; she stared at Ramza, who closed his eyes and moved his hands under Alicia's, now the only one to be in contact with Lavian's wounds, and became quite. Lavian, exhaled deeply, and Alicia feared it was her last; suddenly, Lavian gasped loudly, drawing in a long breath. Alicia could see the wound, held under Ramza's hands, knit before her eyes; Lavian arched upward and let out a wail, as life energy poured into her, forcing her body to make bone, blood and flesh. The wail died down, and Lavian settled, new pink skin where the bloody hole was. Amazed again, Alicia looked up to Ramza, a smile on her face and tears of joy in her eyes. Smile melting off, she saw the wound that Ramza just healed erupt onto his stomach. This, plus the wound suffered minutes ago, was too much for the squire; he saw Lavian breathe peacefully, and her eyes blink open. Sighing contentedly, Ramza let darkness envelop him, and he slumped to the ground.


	4. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 3

**Author Notes:** Thank you kuro-ninpou28, Thug-4-Less, and SerialRavist for your reviews. They are very much appreciated. I'll cover some of the issues all of you expressed, and I'll try to keep it short, so you can get to the next chapter. I did some editing to the previous chapters, including some quick rewrites and change to layout, so please feel free to re-read them. Hopefully some of the dialog and description problems will be solved.

The combat - Yes, Agrias is very skilled, but that does not mean the enemies can't be equally as skilled; if I made all of the main characters super skilled, then they would have no progression to advance to. So yes, at the beginning, they will be "dumbed down" a bit. It is my hope that in future chapters, that contain fights, it will be shown that all the characters have improved, or try something different. As for her holy sword abilities, well, c'mon, later on someone could be hurling large balls of fire at foes. Magic is magic; trying to make special skills and abilities realistic would take away part of the charm in magic. Lastly, I'm trying to keep a vague feel of the game within the story, so for the "Throw Stone" ability, as it is in the game, it is a weak attack, meant to distract, not hurt. Yes, hurling a stone at someone will hurt, especially if your next to them, but in both cases I used it the distance between foes are great. An object smaller then your fist, thrown by a person, however strong, does not carry a lot of force. But this could be discussed, or argued, for a long time. Suffice to say, to keep somewhat true to the game, unrealistic things happen. Woot.

Overall, I'm going to try to focus more on character interaction and development then how realistic fights will be; thats not to say I want my fights to be dull and drag. I put as much effort into my fighting descriptions as I do character development.

I know that the first fight has gone on for a while - and its not really over yet. Not to say I'm going to drag everything in the mud, the beginning, up to the recovery of the princess, will be rather involved. In my opinion, the game's chapter 2 (The Manipulator and the Subservient) is the most important chapter, as it forges Ramza's path and allies. Fear not, I won't be doing 4-5 chapters per game scene; some will be skipped, some will be short. Once I have my plot firmly settled, the pace will quicken.

Thats all for now; If I did not touch something, sorry. Tell me about it in a review (shameless plug for reviews).

Oh, as for characterization, if you like the way i portray the characters, cool! If not... well, hopefully you'll get over it.

-Meralin

* * *

Agrias, done with her skirmish, caught her breath; the heat of battle had carried her and her current allies further away from the monastery then expected. With the lull, she was able to scan the area; she noted that Gafgarion had also finished his fight and was looting the two corpses. While she had suffered some damage, the dark knight was unscathed, primarily due to the dark magic of his Night Sword technique. It was no surprise that Gafgarion relied heavily on that attack; the ability allowed him to attack from a safe distance and steal the life force of the foe he struck. Agrias sneered; once a scavenger, always a scavenger. Finishing her visual survey, she spotted Rad; the archer he had faced was dead, one of Rad's daggers still lodged in the man's skull. The enemy squire was still alive; Rad was circling him, dagger flashing, toying with the poor man. Strewn about the ground were pieces of the wounded squire's armor; Rad was hacking parts off, leaving vulnerable flesh exposed. Rad, giggling unpleasantly, darted in, cutting the man open across the chest, blood spraying; Agrias watched in horror. This was no fight, not anymore; this was torture!

Agrias watched with a morbid fascination as Rad, continuing his play, ducked forward and cut the squire brow to jaw; a gurgled scream of agony escaped the dying man. Agrias could not stand the inhumane display anymore; she grasped her sword handle, fury overcoming her revulsion; she had half a mind to finish off the wounded squire for mercy, and the other half called for her to attack Rad. Gafgarion, done looting and seeing the growing anger from Agrias, called out, "Finish playing, Rad; we have work to do." Rad, pouting at his leader, shrugged and, with a jerk, gutted his foe. Agrias swore in disgust; the final blow Rad inflicted would be a long, painful death for the squire. Agrias's disgust turned to revulsion as Rad, coldly standing over the dying squire, watched the last seconds of life fade from his eyes, delight dancing on Rad's face. Agrias shuddered, feeling cold; how could any man feel pleasure instead of remorse at watching a fellow human die?

A wail from across the field roused Agrias; here eyes roamed the remainder of the grounds, tying to pinpoint the source of the cry. Cold fear ran down her spine; that was Lavian's voice carried by the wind. Sprinting to higher ground, she spotted her comrade, pinned to the ground, a bloody sword rising from her like a tombstone. Agrias's body reacted on its own and started running; tears ran down her face. She could save Lavian, her heart cried; you won't make it in time, her mind reasoned. Agrias, ignoring her own logic, ran faster, hoping to get to her comrade in time. Getting closer, she watched as Alicia wrenched the sword out from Lavian, tossing it aside, and placing her hands on the gaping wound; Ramza, a breath later, fell to Lavian's side, aiding Alicia's attempt to slow the bleeding. He was talking, but Agrias's head was too full of static to hear.

Time slowed for the holy knight; her vision narrowed on Lavian and the mercenary hovering above her. The squire, pushing Alicia's hands aside, was concentrating, chanting softly; Agrias was moderately versed in curative magic, but what Ramza was doing looked, and felt, unlike any holy spell she had ever studied. Agrias panicked; what if he was preparing to do something horrible like that monster Rad did? Or what if he was about to give Lavian a mercy kill? Stumbling from her reckless pace, she collapsed less then a dozen feet away from the two. Ignoring her twisted ankle, she got to her knees, wanting to know if Lavian still lived. Lavian quieted, breathing her last; Agrias had failed her. Before despair fully overcame her, Lavian suddenly cried loudly; Agrias watched as Lavian's wound closed and color flushed her skin. Moments later, the healed knight sat up, a look of astonishment on her face, staring at Ramza. Agrias, tears of joy pooling in her eyes, also stared at the squire; Ramza, after smiling softly, abruptly collapsed.

Agrias and Alicia, their first concern Lavian, both threw themselves onto the sitting women; Alicia was crying with cheer, holding onto her friend's waist fiercely. Agrias, surprising herself, had grasped Lavian around the shoulders; no longer weeping, Agrias held her friend with relief. Friend; the phrase struck Agrias like a bolt of lightning. For all her years campaigning, for all the subordinates she had lost in battle, these two next to her were important; they were her friends. Lavian was the first to notice that Ramza, slumped at her side, was not moving. She voiced her concern, "Um, Ramza?"

Alicia and Agrias released Lavian, who sighed contently, and crawled over to the fallen man, checking his body for wounds. Agrias noted that he had sustained two heavy wounds; one was a deep gash in his side. Agrias gasped in alarm; the other was a wound through the gut, exiting the squire's back. This wound was identical to the one Lavian had. She looked up to Alicia, who was holding Ramza's head in her lap, looking worried, "He's hurt pretty badly, Agrias," Alicia said. Agrias nodded grimly; a lesser man would have succumbed to the damage. Ramza was fighting to stay alive at this point, and this time Agrias was there to help. She calmed her mind; Agrias did not know how he did it, but he brought one of her friends back from the brink. Agrias would repay the deed. Her strongest healing spell firmly in mind, she whispered a prayer; healing magic coursed through Ramza. Ramza opened his eyes and leaned up, looking up at a dirty, bloodied, teary Alicia; he smiled, "What'd I miss?"

Alicia, more tears threatening to spill, suddenly balled her fist and brought it down sharply on Ramza's head, "Idiot! You scared the hell out of us! What were you thinking? You could have died!" With that out of her system, Alicia burst into tears and fell onto Ramza's chest, burying her face in his neck, "Thank you!"

Ramza, head hurting and a confused look on his face, glanced to Agrias, who was smiling and trying not to laugh, "What'd I do?"

Barking a laugh, she reached down a hand to the man, "I don't think she likes it when you're reckless. I'd avoid that if I were you." Ramza, grinning sheepishly, grasped the extended hand, lifting Alicia and himself up, taking a moment to steady them both. Giving an awkward pat on Alicia's back he murmured, "Err… no problem." Alicia muttered something unintelligible but remained clutched to the squire. Lavian, who had stood and stretched, walked over to the squire, gazing at him with slight hesitation. She extended her arm, resting her hand on Ramza's free shoulder; she wanted to express her gratitude, but had much more dignity then her younger friend. After another moment of hesitation, she locked her eyes with his, and softly expressed, "Thanks…"

Feeling more relaxed with the veteran knight, Ramza smiled, and clasped her shoulder with his free hand. "Any time, Lavian." The familiar way Ramza used her name pleased Lavian and removed her feeling of discomfort; she scrutinized the squire seriously for the first time. The hand holding her shoulder was strong, his shoulder sturdy under her grasp. His face was very handsome, and she could tell many a woman could get lost in his rust colored eyes; but, more importantly to her, they held no deception. A warm sensation bubbled up from her toes; he spoke truth, a trait very uncommon in these troubled times. Lavian found a smile matching his on her own face. It was refreshing to find an honorable man.

Agrias coughed, and Ramza, already feeling uncomfortable, felt his face burn, remembering that Alicia still had a grip around him. He released Lavian and shrugged out of Alicia's grip, taking a few steps back, face red. A blush was present on Alicia's face as well, but she acted as if it were not there, gazing shyly at Ramza under her long lashes. Agrias tilted her head; she'd have to keep an eye on her young knight. Agrias addressed Ramza, "Guess I'm the last one then. You have my thanks Ramza." her voice was soft and heartfelt. Ramza, still smiling, shrugged, as if it was nothing. He was content in the choice, and risk, he took. These women were worth it. It felt nice to help people again. He hadn't truly done so since… Ramza's musing was shattered as, for the second time, a scream tore through the air; this time it came from the monastery, and was loud and clear: "Let go of me!"

"Damn!" Agrias cursed; the princess! She darted into the monastery; as she went in, Ramza, knowing there was a back entrance, ran to the side, thinking of cutting off whoever had the princess. As he reached the side of the building, he heard from within a yell of "Wait!" Glancing at the back of the monastery, Ramza saw a waiting yellow chocobo; yellow chocobos, one of many breeds, are used as steeds by knights. Looking like an overgrown chicken with bright yellow feathers, they are known to fight fiercely, run fast, and even have curative abilities. Before he could even start to run to it, a man carrying an unconscious Princess burst out of the back door and leapt up on the riding bird.

He called out mockingly, as he kicked the bird to start fleeing, "Tough... Don't blame us. Blame yourself or God," and with that the chocobo, Princess on board, sprinted off. Agrias, in vain, ran after the bird for a few moments, but, unable to keep up, fell to her knees. "Oh, God…"

Ramza, knowing that he could not catch the knight, just watched as he rode off; as the knight passed in the distance, he glanced behind him, perhaps to see if he was being followed, perhaps to call a final taunt. Ramza never knew, for, as the man turned, a violent shock ran through him; he knew that man. Sound dulled to a buzz, the water falling on his brow ignored. He thought this man was dead, and it staggered Ramza to see him alive, let alone employed by the enemy. "…Delita? You're alive?" Ramza could not help but voice his revelation. "But, why are you in Goltana's troops? Where have you been? Why after all this time…?"

A hush blanketed the field, the only sound heard was rain falling; Agrias was still on her knees, mud staining her cloths, deep in thought. Lavian, Alicia, and Gafgarion had gathered at the carriage, the unspoken meeting point, the former two looking exhausted, the latter looking bored, staring out at the bloody battlefield. Rad was looting the corpses of the fallen foes, completely ignoring the abduction of the princess. Ramza looked as if he had been struck on the head, a slight dazed look painted on his face, mouth slightly agape, glancing in the direction the lone enemy knight fled.

Gafgarion looked at Ramza with disgust; marching to the stricken man, the dark knight cuffed him in the head, roughly. "Snap out of it, fool." Gafgarion was fuming by now, and pointed to Agrias, "Get that bitch up and moving; were leaving." The strike, combined with his words, jump-started Ramza's brain, shaking him out of his shock. Composing himself quickly, Ramza glared at Gafgarion; the dark knight ignored look, shrugged, and walked back to the carriage, muttering to himself. Ramza, knowing that every minute they spent not chasing the Princess was a minute wasted, approached the grieving Agrias.

The holy knight, in great distress and shock, was running though the previous events in her mind again and again. She had failed the princess, had failed to do the one thing she was certain she could do: protect her. The fight, that pointless fight, was just a diversion for that bastard knight to sneak up on her. She wanted to get mad, to be furious, but could not; she felt drained. For a second she allowed hopelessness overcome her; as she heard someone approaching, she shoved it away. She would get the princess back, or die trying. A gentle hand grasped her arm, helping her stand, followed by a soft voice, "C'mon Agrias, you still have work to do." She looked at Ramza's grim face and nodded. For a second Ramza saw beyond Agrias's cold exterior, to the frightened woman behind it; then it was gone, her iron wall up, anger in her face. Pulling away from Ramza's grip, she twisted, and without thanks headed to the carriage. Ramza, frowning, followed.

All but one had now gathered at the carriage, all quite, contemplating what to do next. Gafgarion, inpatient, shattered the silence, "So, Ramza, you know who kidnapped her?" Ramza said nothing, glancing at the holy knight.

Agrias snorted; by saying nothing the squire had condemned himself, "No matter; he's taken Princess Olivia northwest. Can't be too far…"

Gafgarion spat, "So you're going after her then?"

Agrias looked insulted, "Of course! It's my duty! Besides, I couldn't face the royal family unless I do."

"Well, we won't help you. Not part of our contract," Gafgarion felt extremely smug with that remark, and showed it.

"Fine! We don't need help from one who's not even a true knight! A knight must fix her own mistakes. This is one of our responsibilities as guards!" Agrias shouted with anger, fed up with the dark knight's cowardly actions and underhanded words. "Lavian, Alicia, let's go!"

The two knights nodded, and started to ready the carriage; as they were leaving Simon exited the monastery. Agrias turned to the old man, and bowed her head in respect. "Are you alright, Simon?"

Simon smiled weakly; he was unharmed, but looked nervous. Must be due to the stress of the princess, for he voiced in a concerned tone, "The Princess?" Ramza, quietly observing the interaction, frowned at the old man; something was off in his attitude. His body language emanated hesitation, as if he was hiding something. The priest was also undamaged; completely undamaged. Ramza thought that perhaps his robes, if anything, would have been rumpled if the enemy knight had overpowered him to get to the Princess. Simon noticed the squire staring at him, and shuffled uncomfortably under the gaze. Agrias didn't notice this silent exchange.

"She was unharmed; don't worry. I swear on my knight's honor to get her back!" Agrias raised a fist in determination; Gafgarion snorted.

Simon, instead of looking relieved, only muttered in reply "…No. You'd be in danger…" Again Ramza watched the priest.

Agrias ignored Simons plea with a waive, "Nonsense. I'm a knight, and she's my ward. I'll get her back."

Ramza, silent throughout the entire conversation thus far, suddenly stepped forward to Agrias. In a no-nonsense tone, he declared to Agrias, "I'm going, too." Agrias' eyebrows rose in surprise, and then arched in doubt. Ramza grit his teeth; she wasn't taking him seriously. He held her gaze with his own, "I won't be a burden."

Gafgarion barked a laugh in detest, "Are you crazy? This is none of your business!"

Turning his gaze to the dark knight, Ramza spat out, "I have to know the truth and see with my own eyes!"

For the first time since Gafgarion had met Ramza, determination burned within the squire's eyes; something dormant was awakening within the young man. Gafgarion was a skilled fighter and no coward, despite his underhanded ways; the possibility that Ramza might fight for some cause, instead of gil, had Gafgarion thinking twice about crossing swords. He should not underestimate the boy.

Shrugging off a sense of foreboding, Gafgarion asked, "What, you mean that knight?" Ramza nodded, once. Gafgarion, acting melodramatic, shrugged his shoulders while sighing loudly, "You're as stubborn as a mule. Fine; but don't cry to me for help if something happens."

Ramza grinned; it was unlike Gafgarion to cave so easily. He was going to tell the dark knight so when a third scream ripped through the air. "What the hell is it with all the bloody screams today?" Gafgarion cursed. Ramza, suddenly remembering where the scream could have come from, sprinted out into the field, where the distant figure of Rad was.


	5. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 4

**Author Notes:** Not much to say before this chapter. Thank you for the continuing reviews and support!

I'm thinking that I will be steadily updating the story every three to four weeks; need time to get those creative juices to flow.

-Meralin

* * *

Consciousness slowly spread through the woman; she was lying on the cold, wet ground. It was raining; she felt it splash on her face. Her eyes were closed; she did not remember closing them. Fear ran through her; she could not remember anything! _Calm down, calm down. Who am I? _A name surfaced: Belle. _Yes, my name is Belle. Good, good. Now, where am I? _Belle concentrated, getting a slight headache; in a rush, she remembered. Her mission with the Nanten, the battle, the squire with the rock! She groaned; that's why her head hurt so much. Fear resurfaced; _why aren't I dead? I wasn't killed… What does that mean for me?_ Panic was quickly overcoming her. _No… not again… _Unwelcome thoughts flooded her memory: images of Jacob, her captain, forcing her down in the grass…_ I won't go through it again! I can't…_ A sudden noise froze her; something or someone was nearby. She held her breath, and prayed that it would go away. God, however, remained ignorant of her plea. 

"Ahhh… what have we here?" The voice was unpleasant and sent a chill down Belle's spine. "What are you doing still breathing? Seems that Ramza can't finish his job like a good little boy; no loss. More fun for me…" Belle felt a figure hovering above her; she knew her act of playing dead was not working. She could not stop herself from trembling. Suddenly the figure dove on her, causing her to gasp and snap her eyes open. Belle saw a frightening man, dressed in the garb of a squire, pressing his body onto hers, hands roaming. He looked down to her fear-stricken face, leering. "Good, they are always more fun when they're awake!" He grunted slightly, his hand grabbed the front of her tunic, and with a quick twist, he tore the front of her shirt, exposing her breasts; wasting no time, he cruelly grasped the exposed flesh, twisting it roughly. Belle, who had been struggling in vain, froze at the touch and pain; mind going blank, she did the only thing she could: she screamed.

The squire, clasping his ears against the piercing scream, growled, and raised one of his hands to backhand her; Belle braced herself for the blow, but it never came. As suddenly as the squire was holding Belle down, just as suddenly was he off of her; another man had come out of nowhere and slugged the squire in the face, knocking him off her. No longer being pinned and molested, Belle's scream cut off; she was flabbergasted at the second man's sudden arrival and turn of events. With a start, Belle recognized the second man; it was the squire that had thrown that stone at her, interrupting her spell! That must mean he was the one who knocked her out. Head still fuzzy, she focused in on what he was saying.

"What in the nine hells do you think you're doing?" Ramza was furious, and rightly so. He had heard stories from Rad himself of what he did to female captives, but had hoped they were exaggerations; apparently not.

Rad slowly stood, wiping his mouth and spitting out a tooth; that punch had thrown him a good distance, but more importantly, it really hurt. The bastard would pay for it. "You have no say in what happens to the bitch, Ramza; she's not your property, she's Gafgarion's now. You know you forfeit all right to the spoils of battle to him, and he lets me do whatever I want with toys." He leered at Belle, licking his lips repulsively.

Seeing red, Ramza instinctively took a step forward, as if he would charge the squire. Rad tensed his muscles, ready for the charge, but after a few heartbeats Ramza backed down. As much as he hated to admit it, Rad was right; Ramza knew that all spoils of war, however Gafgarion defined the phrase, was the sole property of the dark knight. Having learned how Gafgarion's morals, or the lack thereof, worked, Ramza knew that prisoners would be considered property, even slaves. Ramza's teeth clenched; Rad, being Gafgarion's protégé and favorite, always did have first pick. It never mattered to Ramza before; he cared little for material items or gil. But this was a person; a living breathing life! Ramza's gaze turned to the woman lying before him, her face stricken with fear and her body trembling violently. Something within Ramza, at that moment, snapped.

Rad started to move forward again, seeing as Ramza had seemingly surrendered his position. Rad stared at the chemist, gawking at the exposed flesh, as he stalked forward. Head turning back to Ramza, a taunt on his lips, Rad suddenly halted; the squire had settled his gaze upon Rad, and Ramza's face, so full of fury and rage, caused Rad to hesitate. Growling, Ramza strode forward, settling himself protectively above the girl. "I don't care! As my captive, she is indentured to me, regardless of mercenary law. The King's law, law that still holds sway within his lands, bind the girl to me, as she is of no noble birth. She's under my care and protection," Ramza's voice lowered to a hiss, "and if you touch her, you're a dead man."

Rad's eyes widened with shock; he had never seen Ramza act so aggressively before, and the man intimidated him. Rad took a step back, thinking twice about engaging the enraged squire. Swallowing his fear, he thought quickly; he'd have to play a trump card. Rad called out, "Boss, remind the peasant of the rules he agreed upon when he signed up. That wench is yours, and I want her!"

The remainder of the disorderly group had arrived on the scene by this time; the two knights were watching the argument warily. They did not like what Rad was saying or doing. Agrias watched with barely contained anger, and uncontained disgust, as Rad pleaded with his commander over the fate of the captive; her attention was spiked when Ramza mentioned the King's law. It was very unusual for a commoner to know details like that. Gafgarion was the only one to watch the argument unravel without emotion. Under normal circumstances, Gafgarion would have let Rad have the chemist, and do what he wanted to her; Ramza, however, was not going to let that happen, and the boy spoke the King's law. No matter what he or Rad wanted, that woman was now protected. The dark knight did not want to push his authority when Ramza was so clearly ready to fight for the damn whore.

Gafgarion shrugged, "Sorry Rad, Ramza's got you on that one. He invoked the King's law. I'd back off if I were you; I'm thinking that your manhood would be one of the first things Ramza would relieve of you."

Rad hissed with disbelief; Gafgarion never agrees with Ramza! Uncontrolled hatred burned within Rad, and he spat out, "Fine! Fuck the slut for all I care. Just watch your back…" Rad, spitting at Ramza's feet, turned and slunk off to the carriage.

Ramza watched the squire go, frowning; he would have to watch his back. Rad held grudges. "Alicia," he quietly called out, "could you please lend me a spare tunic?" As he spoke, he unclasped his cloak, turned, and without looking, placed it over the chemist, who was sobbing quietly and still shaking. Alicia, startled by the sudden finality of the disagreement, nodded, and sprinted to the carriage.

Agrias watched Alicia run off, grimacing slightly; although Ramza had asked nicely, his voice made it clear that it was no favor, but an order, and Alicia followed without hesitation. "We have no time for this!" Agrias voiced, as she turned to Lavian, "Let's go…" both turned and hustled to the carriage.

Ramza, having watched everyone leave the area, knelt down beside the chemist, smiling gently to her. She was a pretty woman, having long curly brown hair and light brown eyes; eyes that were staring at him with a look of intense fear, like a rabbit cornered by a wolf. She was clutching his cloak around her as if it was the only thing that could keep her safe. Keeping his hands in front of him, trying to ease her fears, he called out in a soft, gentle voice, "It's ok m'lady; you're safe now. No one is going to hurt you." Ramza gave her a smile, "My name is Ramza Lugria."

The chemist, calming down and quieting her hiccupping sobs, looked to Ramza, softly replying, "…Belle." She hesitated, looking between Ramza and the distant figure of Rad. Ramza followed her gaze and his face darkened; before he could reassure her, he spotted the approaching Alicia, a bundle of cloth grasped in her hands. She had run the whole way; halting within a few feet of Ramza, she took a moment to catch her breath, and then held out the cloth, "Here you go. It's plain, but will do."

Smiling at her, Ramza asked, "Could you do me one more favor? Help her put that on. I'll turn around and keep watch." Ramza winked to her, and Alicia nodded enthusiastically. Ramza stood and turned away from the two women.

Alicia crouched next to Belle, whispering, "I'm Alicia; give me the cloak. I'll hold it up to give you a screen. Here's my spare tunic." Belle nodded and took the garment, watching Ramza and the distant group warily. Alicia took the offered cloak and held it in her spread arms, forming a curtain, behind which Belle could change. Smiling, Alicia talked to the chemist, "Don't worry; he won't peek at you." She gestured to Ramza. "He'll keep his word," Alicia had no evidence to support her claim, having known the man for a short time, but trust came naturally to her. Belle only nodded and removed her shredded clothing, quickly changing into the tunic. Still feeling vulnerable without her chest plate, Belle somehow felt safer with the clean, undamaged shirt on.

After a few minutes, Ramza called back, "Are you decent yet?" After he heard an affirmative from Alicia, he turned, facing the two. "Belle," he started, looking at her, "I'm going to need you to remove all of your remaining armor and weapons, as well as any items you may have. Sorry," Ramza shrugged in apology. "Could you give her a pat-down, Alicia?" The young knight nodded, "Good. Here's the deal, Belle: I'll protect and take care of you the best I can, as long as you behave yourself." He smirked, "You know: no running off, go to bed on time, finish your vegetables." Belle smiled; she was starting to feel better. "While in my care, follow my orders, as well as any issued by Agrias or her knights. I'll keep an eye on Rad. He won't hurt you anymore." He knelt, placing a hand on her knee, voice serious, "In God's name, I swear to that. I won't enslave you or sell you; I'll find a place for you where you can be safe." He said the last almost as an afterthought.

Belle, feeling warmth from Ramza's voice, as well as his hand, nodded firmly; she was no longer frightened of the man, and through his words and actions, as well as Alicia's previous testament, he had gained her trust. "I promise Ramza," she quietly said, "…Thank you."

Standing, Ramza waved away the thanks, "No thanks necessary. Now let's go. We got a princess to catch, and Agrias is getting impatient." He watched as Alicia helped remove all the gear Belle was carrying, stuffing the gear in a sack the knight carried; there wasn't much: a dagger, damaged leather, and half a dozen potions. _These potions we'll add to our stock_, Ramza thought_, and I'll give Belle her equipment back once I release her._ Belle, now only in tunic and skirt, took Alicia's offered hand and stood. Still not fully recovered, Belle swayed as she stood, and would have ended where she had begun if Ramza had not glided to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her to him for support; with Ramza's help, the two started toward the carriage. Alicia, walking beside the two, shot Belle an envious glance; Belle smiled up at the man with thanks, wrapped one of her own arms around Ramza's neck, leaning into him, earning another glare from Alicia. Ramza didn't see either woman's looks, concentrating at the carriage in the distance.

The three got to the carriage as it was finally prepared to move, being pulled by two brown chocobos; their particular species is bred for heavy work and pulling, unlike the yellow chocobos, which are bred for speed. Removing his arm from around Belle, Ramza approached Agrias, who was driving the carriage, Lavian sitting besides her. Bowing, he asked, "M'lady Agrias, I would kindly ask if my prisoner could ride within the carriage, and that Alicia join her as guard. I fear that she would be… harassed if she traveled with me in the back."

Agrias, surprised with the squire's sudden show of manners, however archaic, blinked and looked to the rear of the carriage, where she saw Rad glare at Ramza's captive. She nodded, "Whatever, as long as we get a move on." It didn't matter to her; one of her knights usually rode within the carriage anyway. Ramza, face serious when he asked his question, broke into a merry grin, and with a cheeky wink, he turned from the holy knight, back to where the two women were standing. Agrias fumed at the man's impudence, confused by his erratic behavior; how could he affect her composure so?

"The two of you will ride within the carriage, until we reach Doter," Ramza told them as he approached; Belle and Alicia, who were eyeing each other warily, started at the news, forgetting that anyone else was there. Belle didn't object, as it would be dry within the carriage; she nodded and entered the vehicle. Alicia, once Belle had gone in, turned to Ramza, "Me? Why me?"

Ramza arched an eyebrow, "We need someone to guard the prisoner, and Gafgarion will want me in the back. I already cleared it with Agrias."

Alicia chewed her lip; she would rather have walked outside with Ramza, perhaps get to talk to him more, maybe find out what his interests are… like in girls. Alicia blushed at the thought, "Will Lavian switch with me?"

Ramza smiled, "Don't think so; it's about six hours until we reach town." Ramza held out his hand to help Alicia into the open carriage. Unthinking, Alicia grabbed it and allowed herself to be led into the cozy interior. She let her hand linger a few moments longer then needed before releasing Ramza's hand, her face deepening in color. Ramza secured the door, face peering through the open window, "Besides," he finished, "You two get to be nice and dry while we get soaked out here." This was true; the light sprinkle that had started when the battle did had now progressed into a steady rainfall. "Enjoy it while you can!" and with a wink, Ramza's face was gone and the two women were alone in the spacious carriage. Sitting opposite each other, they each stared at the other as the vehicle lurched forward, hearing only the rhythm of noise.


	6. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 5

**Author Notes:** I know, I said I would update every month, and this chapter's early. I guess people will have to suffer. :)

First, again thanks to all for your reviews; all the positive, and negative, critique is wonderful, helping me improve this hobby of mine.

I notice that some readers want Agrias to have more screen time, so to speak. Don't worry, she'll get her fair share. I also see some people are getting confused by the inconsistency of Ramza; at this point in my story, he is inconsistent and chaotic. This is one, of many, issues he has to resolve. It looks like Belle was, mostly, well received. She was particularly difficult portraying, especially in this chapter, as you will read. I'm not a perfect writer, nor do I try to be, so some concepts and characterizations that I write about, some people will disagree with; that's fine. I try my best. Like all writers, I take a little creative liberty with my story.

This chapter is split into three sections; instead of making three chapters, I decided to just make a notation where one scene ends and another begins. Hope it doesn't confuse anyone.

Lastly, a refresher to everyone that this is a "M" rated story, and it does get dark and serious at times.

* * *

Ramza, slightly envying the two women in the warm and dry carriage, trudged through the increasing mud to the rear of the vehicle. As they had agreed on, Gafgarion's troop would guard the rear and Agrias's would guard the front; there was no need to change the order. Still technically signed up with Gafgarion, Ramza's place was in the back, though he would have preferred anywhere else. Ramza knew the dark knight was going to have words with him over the captive, and true to Ramza's assumption, as soon as Gafgarion spotted the squire he marched over, looking quite displeased with the situation. Ramza smiled; anything that pissed Gafgarion off was worth it in his book.

"Do you even remember my fucking order?" Gafgarion was seething, "Kill! Do you not understand that, boy? Not take prisoners. Now we have to babysit some bitch because you didn't have the fucking nerve to gut her!" As the dark knight spoke, he had grabbed Ramza's upper arm, clenching it in rage. Gafgarion expected complete obedience from his followers; soldiers were to be mindless and it was the dark knight's job to think for them.

Ramza, meeting the dark knight's fury, painfully twisted Gafgarion's hand and broke his grip, "Wrong; she is under my care and neither one of you will have anything to do with her." he glared coldly to the dark knight, who was rubbing his hand to sooth the pain "And I don't follow irrelevant orders from an incompetent leader."

Gafgarion swore loudly and lunged at the squire; Rad, staring at the squire as if he had grown a second and third head, amazed at the first insult he heard Ramza ever utter, leapt forward and struggled to restrain the dark knight. Ramza glared at the enraged dark knight with frosty disdain; the day's recent activities had bolstered the squire's meek attitude. Ramza leaned back in a relaxed position, adding fuel to the dark knight's fire; Gafgarion knew this was bait and Ramza was ready for a scuffle. Cooling down quickly, not as angry as he acted, Gafgarion shrugged out of Rad's grasp. Meeting the cold glare, he calmly spoke, "I don't think this contract is working out, Squire. Consider your contract void after the end of this job." Ramza mutely nodded; he was not going to continue to travel with the dark knight anymore. "…But know that your share of the pay will be needed to cover an 'early-expired contract fee'." Gafgarion finished, a smug look on his face. Ramza grimaced; he was running very low on gil and his pay would have helped quite a bit.

"Fine," Ramza conceded; he moved to one side of the wagon, his unspoken guard point. Gafgarion joined Rad on the opposite side and started to speak quietly with his loyal follower. Ramza knew that the duo were talking about him by the less-than-pleasant looks they were throwing at him, but the squire ignored them; his mind was too busy puzzling out the entire new situation in which he found himself. He reached into his pack to retrieve and don a rain cloak; just a few days ago his life was less complicated, although not very glamorous. Ramza's captive would complicate things and he honestly did not want that kind of responsibility anymore. While he walked, and for a long time, he mentally battled his conscience; in the end his dormant morals won out. His father had raised him to be an honorable man, and the lessons had not faded through the years, however Ramza might try to ignore or forget them. _It's a small task, really_, Ramza rationalized to himself; _once I get Belle to Dorter I'll be done. _Ramza nodded to himself, reasoning, _Besides, it's not like I'm taking her under my wing. She's a chemist; I'm sure her skills will be needed._ Feeling slightly better, Ramza marched the long hours away, keeping an eye out for danger, but mainly thinking about his past and his now cloudy future.

--

On the seat of the carriage, Agrias and Lavian made themselves as comfortable as they could get, given their situation. Agrias rustled through their packs to get rain cloaks while Lavian got a blanket; huddling together for warmth, Lavian wrapped the blanket around them, with Agrias placing the water resistant cloaks on top. Within a half hour, the two, while still damp, were rather warm and no longer getting wet. Neither one spoke for a few hours; Lavian was busy watching the surrounding area. She did not think anything would attack, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. For increasingly longer intervals, Lavian noticed that Agrias was staring at her. At first the knight shrugged the looks off, thinking them nothing; after a particularly long gaze, Lavian finally faced her officer and asked, "Ma'am?" Lavian did not know what Agrias wanted, and out of the hundreds of things she expected the holy knight to do, she did something Lavian did not expect: she blushed.

Averting her gaze, Agrias quietly asked, "…Am I your friend, Lavian?"

The knight, who was completely confused, stared at her commanding officer, mouth slightly agape. It took a few moments for the question to sink into Lavian's head; once it did, the knight blinked rapidly. "Well… Yea." Lavian never really thought about this before. She had always been closer to Alicia then Agrias; it was difficult forming a bond with a superior officer. "I mean, you're closer to my age. We've both been soldiers for years." She looked to Agrias, trying to sound less hesitant, "You're my friend."

Agrias nodded slowly, and then asked, "How long have you been in my command?"

Raising an eyebrow at the next odd question, Lavian crisply replied, "Over four years now, ma'am."

Agrias slowly nodded again, her gaze drifting away from Lavian, looking at something distant, "I've been a commander since I was sixteen; throughout the years I have lead thousands of troops" Lavian remained quite, surprised that Agrias talking about her past, something she was not known to do. Agrias continued, "I've seen good men and women under my command die at my orders." she turned to Lavian, a sad smile on her face, gaze averted, "Some right in front of me; I've even held a few during their last moments. I've always felt remorse at their passing, but never really cared. I mean… you know, they were soldiers, and I wanted to keep them alive, but I accepted that they would, one day, perish," Agrias finally looked at Lavian, a faint blush still present. "It's different for you and Alicia, though. I don't have a lot of friends, devoting the past six years to the royal guard. Today when we nearly lost you…" Agrias quieted, feeling slightly embarrassed; she was not used to sharing her feelings, having no one close with whom to share them.

Lavian, feeling a rush of affection at the holy knight, smirked and said, "Well, I am honored to have such a friend as you taking care of us." Agrias, relieved that Lavian understood, smiled back, and the uncomfortable atmosphere dissipated.

The knight asked, "So what's the next step?"

Agrias grimaced, saying, "There's not a whole lot we can do; we'll get a room in Dorter for the night, and in the morning sniff out where that damn knight ran off to. He's got to eat and sleep like us. Plus he won't treat the princess cruelly; he wouldn't dare!"

"That's assuming that he kidnapped her for ransom," Lavian stated.

Agrias blinked at the knight, "Of course. Why else would he kidnap her?" Lavian shrugged; she didn't know, just wanted to make the point. "Anyway, it doesn't matter _why_ he kidnapped the princess; he had the audacity to commit the act, and we'll make him pay!" Agrias clenched her fist, holding it in the air, fire in her eyes, "So let's focus at getting to town and finding that bastard!" Lavian chuckled at her leader's pluck. The knight nodded, and looked back out into the landscape, reassuming her job to watch for foes. Agrias settled down next to her, gaze roaming the trail ahead, to the distant location of Dorter.

--

Within the warm confines of the carriage, two women sat across from one another, silence hanging within the carriage as it was outside; the elder was gazing around at the pretty cloth and ornate work dominating the interior of the carriage; the younger was watching the elder, face in a small pout, cheek puffed out like a child's. After a short while under such inspection, Belle finally settled her wondering gaze on Alicia. Eyes locking, the two fought a small battle of will, tying to figure the other out. Alicia broke the gaze first, unable to siphon anything from Belle's eyes, and turned her head with a small huff, her puffed cheek growing larger. Belle felt a bubble of giggles rising from her belly at the knight's childish attitude. Unable to withhold the laugh, Belle released her held giggle, sputtering, "What are you, twelve?"

Alicia, pout fading and a flush of anger covering her face, replied, "I just turned sixteen, thank you very much!"

Belle's giggles died down at the angry glare she received from Alicia; wanting no adversary, preferring a friendship with the girl, Belle apologized. "Sorry, the face you made was very funny. Anyway, thanks for the laugh, even if you didn't intend it." Belle's face fell, "It helped after what happened today…"

The faint anger Alicia held faded at Belle's apology and sudden depression. "That's ok…" An awkward silence hung in the air, Belle watching the floor emotionlessly while Alicia watched Belle, a small frown on her face. "…Are you ok? Rad didn't… do… anything to you, right?" Alicia was hesitant to bring up the subject, but she had arrived after Rad was knocked off of Belle, and she wanted to know what happened.

Belle, shaken from her reverie at Alicia's question, looked up at the girl, "No. Ramza stopped him; one monster was unable to violate me," Belle's voice was lifeless, and when she met Alicia's gaze, her eyes reflected her voice.

Alicia swallowed heavily; Belle's reply was peculiar, and before she could think that she should not speak, her mouth sprinted ahead, "What do you mean 'one'?"

Belle's voice was unchanging, "You must be fresh out of training right? I guess you didn't pay much attention during your history courses." Alicia remained silent, watching with wide eyes as Belle seemed to ramble on, "For hundreds of years the Nanten had a strict policy of womanless troops; we never have been as accepting as you Hokuten. Five years ago, though, Goltana," Belle spit out the man's name, "decided that we needed a more 'feminine' touch to the troops. He enacted the 'Sisterhood', a battalion of female warriors," Belle's gaze drifted, her eyes softening to reminisce, "Oh were we proud at first! We were promised an education, food, good pay… Most of us couldn't afford that on our own. A lot of us came from broken families, hoping the 'Sisterhood' would make our lives better," Belle closed her eyes, voice fading to a whisper, "And in the beginning, they were. We were taught, fed, paid, and trained. They wanted us all to take 'gentler' professions, teaching us chemistry and magic. They even had the nerve to give some of us rank!" Belle snorted.

Alicia hardly breathed as Belle told her impromptu story; Alicia had only graduated three months ago, and vaguely remembered her history lessons, so all of this wasn't new, but more elaborated. As Belle continued her story, Alicia felt a small sense of foreboding, as if something dreadful were to happen. Oblivious to everything, even Alicia's undivided attention to her story, Belle continued, "We should have seen it coming. There were signs everywhere; they started to split us up. Small steps in the beginning, a battalion turned into a few platoons, then into many squads… They added men, slowly at first. It wasn't long until each squad had one woman apiece," Belle started to shiver, and hugged herself, "They told us that we were an 'honor' and showed 'good relations' to the public. Then it started; subtle at first, a few remarks here and there, catcalls from the 'men'," Belle's voice finally changed, from emotionless to a mixture of fury and fear, "My captain was the first; told me that what I was there for." As if a flood gate was opened, Belle's eyes watered, and quickly a stream of tears ran down her face as she remembered the brutal way Jacob violated her, "I fought back at first, told him I was a soldier, part of the team. He hit me, spat in my face, and as he became my first, said that the only reason I existed was to be a whore for the troops." Belle finally met Alicia's shocked gaze, "That's what that fucking bastard made me: a whore for my squad. Every man, every 'comrade', raped me. Every horrible fucking night was hell for me, caused by those monsters. That's what I mean by 'one'."

Sudden silence. Belle covered her face in shame as she sobbed into her hands; Alicia was thunderstruck. Jaw hanging in shock, the knight desperately though of something to say to the devastated woman sitting across from her. What could she say? Alicia couldn't even fathom imagining what Belle had gone through, or why the chemist suddenly told her this horrific story. Her mind drawing a blank, Alicia quietly whispered, "My God…"

"God!?" Belle heard the words, and looked up, her face contorting in rage, she hissed, "God has nothing to do with this! Where the fuck was He when those men desecrated me? Where was He when this started? Why didn't He save me, or save my sisters?"

Alicia could feel the venom and hurt within the chemist's voice, and she tried to sympathize with Belle, but speaking out this lack of faith could be dangerous, especially with a holy knight nearby.

"How do you know?"

Shock and disbelief was written on Belle's tear stained face at the knight's words.

"What if we could be His work right now?" Alicia continued, breaking eye contact, gaze falling down to her feet, "I'm not the most devout one; Agrias is, but we should always trust in Him. I'm so sorry for what you've been through, but now you're free, right? Ramza said so; he'll look over you, and protect you," Alicia fought the jealousy that rose up and looked at Belle, "How do you know he's not His plan? What if He sent Ramza to you, to free you? I don't mean to sound cruel, but late is better then never, right?" Alicia crossed the small gap between the two, grasping Belle's hands, "You've been saved, today, and you're free."

Belle was surprised at the young woman's wisdom, and stared at the hands grasping her own; Alicia was right, she was free, and she would never suffer those horrors again. Belle could feel more tears form within her eyes, even though she thought she had no more to shed. No longer fighting the inevitable, Belle lurched forward, grasping Alicia into a tight hug, and bawled. Alicia held Belle the whole time she cried; long minutes passed as the chemist sobbed all her lament, releasing her held hurt, fear, and hate; and when her tears finally dried she felt lighter, as if a weight was lifted. The horrors of her past were still burned into her, forever, and she might never feel whole again; but it hurt so very much to hold all of that pain, and felt so good let it go. She would continue to live, day by day, and today, now, she felt better; Belle looked up to the girl who held and helped her. Perhaps she was wrong in thinking God had abandoned her…

"Thank you…" Belle gave a small smile to Alicia, "I feel better; truly."

Alicia returned the smile, "That's what friends are for."

It's amazing how a simple and short sentence can affect someone; pure elation bubbled up in Belle as she understood Alicia's words. Far too much time had passed since someone had called her a friend; Belle's smile widened, "I must be a frightful mess," and the chemist was, dried tears and mucus covering her face.

Alicia, looking at Belle's face, a dried mess that was starting to flake, started to giggle, "Oh yes, dreadfully so."

Belle, infected by the sound, joined the knight, and the two laughed quietly, evaporating the depressing mood that had hung within the carriage. Alicia pulled out a handkerchief and passed it to Belle, who cleaned her face and blew her nose. Emotionally and physically drained, the two leaned on each other and dozed until they heard Agrias call, "Dorter sighted!"


	7. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 6

**Author Notes:** So many reviews! It makes me giggle like a school girl. Which sounds really strange, if you ask me. As always, thank you all for your reviews.

Hmmm... Not much to say about this chapter. It is slightly longer then my previous ones; don't expect a set length. Each chapter has it's each plot or points - I just keep writing until they are all shown.

As always, If you have any questions or suggestions, review, or PM me.

Enjoy.

* * *

It was an hour before midnight when the princess's carriage arrived at Dorter's southern gate; the gateway was closed, as it always was at nightfall, and it took a few minutes of negotiations, aided with a small pouch of gil, to persuade the night sentry to allow access to the town. The carriage slowly moved trough the stilled outer layer of the city, where most of the lower class residential buildings stood. Passing though the sleepy quarter, the group entered a more lively part of town, where a dozen tavern and inns were built; laughter flowed out of most of them as merchants and workers, those who had coin to spare, drank and sang their wariness of the day away.

Agrias headed to one of the quieter buildings, named the Silver Trade; the building was impressive, being a half-dozen stories tall, and the ground level occupied by a fine tavern and the five stories above being rooms and suites to rent. The establishment catered to merchants and minor nobles, so the quality of the food, drink, and rooms were better then some of the less wholesome businesses. Agrias had never been to the Silver Trade before, so she knew her face would be unknown. She stopped the carriage next to the very spacious stable positioned next to the building, calling down to a stableman, "Brush down and feed the chocobos. We'll be staying the night." The man nodded and started to remove the harness's strapped onto the two animals. Agrias and Lavian, having already unwrapped themselves from the blankets and cloaks, hopped down, leaving the carriage in the care of the stableman.

Taking a look around, Agrias noticed that Gafgarion and Rad had already headed toward the bright insides of the tavern, while Ramza had walked to the door of the carriage, opening it and starting to assist Alicia and Belle down. Agrias's eyes were drawn to the squire as he helped; something stuck out in her mind as he bowed slightly, raising a hand to Alicia to escort her to the ground. It was as if he had done this before. _That's unlikely_, the holy knight thought; unless he was employed as a footman before his mercenary days. _That's a possibility, I guess._ Shaking the thoughts away, she walked to the rear of the vehicle, taking out a sack, containing spare clothing and other necessities. Lavian had already gotten her own sack, and Alicia had joined Agrias in rummaging for hers. Ramza, saying something quietly to Belle, moved away from the carriage and headed towards the tavern; Belle hung back with Alicia, sticking close to her side. Agrias noticed, but shrugged, assuming that her knight still was in charge of the captive. It took only a few moments for the women to get their bags, and they followed Ramza into the cozy confines of the tavern.

The four women entered the building just as Ramza was joining Gafgarion and Rad at the bar; the dark knight was speaking to the owner, "What kind of rooms ya got here?"

The barkeep, a balding, rotund, older man, exaggerated his smile and spoke with a sweat voice, "Why good ser, we have the finest rooms in all of Dorter!" The dark knight wasn't impressed, so the man continued, "Our single suites are top of the line, with soft silk sheets and down mattresses. One as fine as you, great ser, should be insulted to have anything less!"

Gafgarion smirked at the barkeep's blatant flattery; but if there was one thing he liked it was flattery. He looked around, noticing that the barmaids were soft on the eye; this would be suitable for him. He had plenty of gil to treat the entire party to their own suites, but, with a glare at Ramza, who had settled himself to next to the dark knight, turned to the barkeep, "I'll take two of your finest rooms." The barkeep hesitated, glancing between the dark knight and Ramza, his silent gaze asking if he made a mistake with only two rooms, as Ramza was clearly with Gafgarion and Rad. The dark knight ignored the glances from the barkeep, and ignored Ramza completely, who was frowning. After a few seconds of silence, Gafgarion repeated himself, "Two rooms. Throw in a feast for me and my friend," he elbowed Rad, "here. We'll have your finest ale." The dark knight grabbed a large purse full of gil, much more then what was needed, and dropped it down onto the bar.

The barkeep, pleased with the pricey order, turned from Ramza and ignored him as well, "Yes good ser! Margret!" he called to a pretty barmaid, "Show these two men our finest table and get them their drink!"

The barmaid led the two men off, joined shortly by two others, all giggles and smiles to the rich men. Rad, his arm around one of the women, turned so he could sneer at Ramza, grabbing the barmaid's bottom roughly, as if mocking or challenging the other man. Ramza sighed; he should have expected this. The squire's purse was quite light; he wondered if he could even afford a common room. Everyone else had watched this act in silence; Agrias was startled at the dark knight's cold dismissal of Ramza. The holy knight, looking at Ramza's forlorn face, felt a hidden urge to comfort the man, wanting to pull him into her embrace; she actually took a step forward before she caught herself. Agrias fought off a blush as she hesitated, and then continued her steps, not to Ramza, but next to the squire, catching the barkeeps notice. Without preamble, Agrias spoke, "What other rooms and accommodations do you have?"

The barkeep, eyes alight at another customer, opened his mouth to shower this woman with praise, hoping for more single room sales; Agrias would have none of it. Before he could ooze in a good word, she barked out, "The room information is all I require!"

The barkeep deflated, and without so much as a smile he relayed, "Besides our single suite, we have a two man rooms and six man rooms." Agrias nodded, asking for prices; the man grimaced, and muttered off the price to each room. Agrias nodded again, and turned to her friends, thinking. Eyes wondering to Ramza's face, she noticed that he looked concerned, staring at the barkeep with his mouth slightly open, clutching his purse. He obviously didn't have enough for a room; making a decision, she spoke to the barkeep, "I'll take a six person room; have a meal sent up to us."

The barkeep nodded, asking, "For four?"

Agrias angled her head so she was looking at Ramza again, catching his gaze, "No, five." She was annoyed and yet somehow pleased that Ramza's reaction, his face lighting up with joy, affected her so. Catching Ramza's grin, she smiled; it wasn't until a polite cough from the barkeep that Agrias noticed that she was staring into Ramza's eyes too long. She ripped her eyes away, a blush forming on her face, and turned back to the barkeep, trying to ignore the look he was giving her, "Show us to our room, then?"

Chuckling, the man called over another barmaid and told her, "Bring 'em to their room." The group started to follow the barmaid, but Agrias was held back when the man questioned, "Your pay?" Agrias handed over a small pouch filled with the appropriate gil, then headed upstairs.

Their room was only one flight up, the more expensive rooms on the topmost floor; the barmaid, who introduced herself as Janet, stopped at a door with the number '8' painted on it. She produced a key, a match to the door, and unlocked the room, opening it for the party. The room itself was nothing fancy, but certainly spacious and comfortable enough. Probably a twenty-foot square, it held one set of bunks on the wall that contained the door and two other sets of bunks on the right wall from the door. The center of the room contained a low circular table, with six stools placed around it; directly across from the door there was a large, low copper tub, used, not for soaking, but for a quick washing. The four women looked longingly at the tub; Agrias, her voice taking a dreamy quality, pointed to the tub, turning to Janet, and asked, "Would you be a dear and get that filled?" The barmaid laughed, told everyone that she'd get hot water, placed the key in the holy knight' hand, and exited the room.

The four women headed to the right wall, each tossing their bags onto one of the beds; Ramza remained in the center of the room, his backpack resting on the table, feeling a little self-conscious. It suddenly dawned on him that he would be sharing a room with four women, all lovely in their own way. He closed his eyes and softly slapped his hand on his head, wondering if he was cursed or blessed; this action did not go unnoticed, as he heard Lavian call, "Now don't go abusing the goods; that's our job."

Ramza, eyes snapping open, looked to the knight, an eyebrow rising and a soft blush coloring his face; if he didn't know better, Lavian just flirted with him. He tilted his head a little, watching the knight, a little confused. Lavian, who giggled at the squire's expression, muttered, "Oh, that blush of yours _is_ cute, isn't it?" The squire, who had heard worst, still felt his blush deepen as the stared at Lavian, his own confusion deepening. The face he was making must have been funny, for Lavian, joined shortly by Alicia, started to laugh softly. Ramza turned his baffled face to Agrias; the holy knight had a small smile on her face and gave only a shrug at the squire's questioning gaze. Ramza, deciding that Lavian was making sport of him, mimicked the holy knight's shrug, walked to the remaining bunk, tossed his own sack upon it, and started to remove his heavy armor.

Turning his back to the women, Ramza heard them follow his lead, removing their own armor, with the exception of Belle, who wore none. The next half-dozen minutes had sounds of clanking metal, ringing mail, and an occasional, conspiratorial whisper from Lavian or Alicia, causing more laugher at someone's expense. Ramza was perplexed at Lavian's sudden change, as he heard her complain, "I hate these gloves! They totally ruin my nails." She was suddenly very… girly. Ramza shrugged again, and as he was removing his last piece of armor, he heard a knock on their door; the squire, being closest, went and opened the door, allowing a line of maids, all holding hot buckets of water, entrance. A few minutes later the copper tub was filled with hot, clear water, and there was a large pile of clean towels and wash rags. Before leaving, Janet advised everyone that their food would be up in a half hour.

With the departure of all the maids, the room was quiet once more, all five looking at the cleaning tub. Ramza, mind wandering, was delighted that he would soon remove the blood, dirt, and smell that had accrued throughout the day; his mind slightly foggy, he took a step forward. He suddenly froze as Agrias loudly cleared her throat, asking, "And where do you think you're going?"

Ramza stumbled, looking embarrassed, as he remembered he was with four women he hardly knew; swallowing heavily, he weakly replied, "Err… outside?"

"Good answer."

Ramza, turning sharply, quickly marched out of the room and closed the door softly. Slapping his forehead once again, he reprimanded himself, _Idiot. How could you forget that there are women in there? Nice job making yourself look the fool._ Sighing heavily, the squire slumped down, leaning against the door, waiting for his turn at the cleaning tub, if he got one. Sitting on the hard wood floor, Ramza's eyes drooped and he gave a yawn. It was quite late, almost midnight, and he would be getting up very early in the morn. He heard rowdy noise drifting from the floor below, from the patrons who were still awake; sound from within the room also drifted to his ears – sounds of faint talking and splashing. Ramza was too tired to make out any words, but was glad of that fact; for all he knew they could be mocking him more.

Within the room, the four women, after quickly undressing, each grabbed a stool and washrag and settled next to the copper tub. There were a few moments of awkward hesitation as each of the women slyly inspected their peers; the three knights had bathed together before and were familiar with the bathing situation, but with the addition of a new person, who could easily be considered the most comely of the four, they became self-conscious. Belle had the smoothest skin betwixt the four, with little to no scarring blemishing her body; the chemist was fit but had a shapely figure, and a sensual fat covered her muscle, giving her a much more feminine appearance. Her face could be called nothing but pretty, her full, voluptuous lips dominating her other features.

Belle, also inspecting the women with side glances, as they were inspecting her, could not deny that they each had their own beauty - Alicia, being the youngest, was still developing and had her own softness; she also had the least scarring due to her limited battleground experience. Lavian was well toned and, with the exception of her ample bosom, had very little of her body fat left from four years in the royal guard; her bust was easily twice the size of the other women's, and the chemist was surprised, and slightly envious, that, with the knight's physique, it stayed so perky. Agrias, the most experienced warrior and eldest, had dozens of scars disfiguring her skin and had the brawniest body; still, Belle could not keep her eyes off of the holy knight's alluring golden hair.

The holy knight, gaze traveling over Belle's beauty and Lavian's bust, felt shameful of her own body, with its ugly scars and small chest. The wounds, each representing a battle she had walked away from, gave her a sense of pride, as a warrior, but as a woman they make her fell impure and undesirable, as if she was less of a woman. Agrias ignored a surge of jealousy, saying, "Enough gawking ladies; we don't want the water to get cold, do we? Wash up."

Outside the door, content in waiting, Ramza hummed a nameless tune as he counted the passing time; his tune was interrupted by raucous laughter coming from the stairway. Peering down the hall he noticed five figures approaching, and within a few moments of hearing their voices, recognized two of them. Ramza's face soured as Gafgarion and Rad approached, three women accompanying them, two hanging off of the dark knight. Rad, who looked drunk and had his own company, waveringly stopped within a few feet of the sitting squire. Scowling down at Ramza, Rad spit out, voice slurring, "Oh, what have we here? Bad dog left outside alone? Such a shame, that it is. Mutts like you deserve a beating, along with a cold night on the floor." Rad leered at the woman hanging on his arm, "Men like me get a warm night, filled with enjoyable company." Rad planted a wet kiss on the woman's neck, hoping to get a reaction from the sitting squire. Ramza just looked up, a dull look on his face; drunk and itching for a fight, Rad leaned down and whispered, spittle flying, "I'll just pretend she's that whore of yours while I fuck her. Though it won't be as fun like it is when they protest."

Ramza's neck hair stood up at Rad's remark, causing the squire to quickly smolder his anger, and ignored the bait. Pissed off, and sneering out a "Tch" Rad dragged his woman down the hallway, heading for the stairway, muttering darkly.

Gafgarion, who had only sampled a few glasses of liquor and was quite sober, replaced the drunken man, "It's such a shame you didn't join us this evening. The food, ale, and," he paused to grope one of the woman while licking the other, "the company were delightful." He chuckled lustfully at the women, who giggled back. Ramza couldn't hold a snort; it always disgusted him in how the dark knight treated women. They were objects, no more than toys to the man. If the squire was a gambling man, he would wager his remaining coin that the dark knight wouldn't even remember their names, come morn. Gafgarion's attitude, reacting to the repulsed look he was receiving from the squire, became cold, "I don't like your look, jackass. Remember who's in charge here: me, not that bitch of a woman in there," he nodded to the door, referring to the holy knight. "Until we're done, you follow my orders. Another insubordination will result in the removal of your head." The dark knight grinned menacingly, "I do like to keep my business professional," and with that, Gafgarion followed the path of his protégé, heading to his private room on the top floor.

Ramza swallowed at the threat; the one thing the dark knight never lied about was his opinion for business. He always kept it professional; this, in addition to his unique fighting techniques, was why he was well paid. The squire would have to tread gently until he was done with this mission. Ramza sighed heavily; he was relieved that the two had left, but also felt a slight twinge of envy. It had been a long time since he enjoyed the companionship of a woman. The topic fled as his stomach growled; he wondered when their food would be up. A few seconds later, he got his answer, as he saw a barmaid approaching the room, struggling with a large platter, atop resting a giant bowl of stew and a plate of breads. Standing, Ramza walked over to the maid, taking the platter from her wavering arms, "I got it."

Janet, he recognized, had a mixed look on her face, a smile battling a frown, not sure if she should be insulted or charmed; the smile won out at the man's manners, and she walked to the door, Ramza following. Janet never got the chance to knock; as she was about to, the door opened, showing a damp Lavian, dressed in a night slip, who called out in a light, teasing voice, "Were done here, handsome; c'mon-", the knight stopped abruptly, seeing Janet and Ramza, who was holding the platter of food, "-in?"

Janet turned to the squire, smiling, "Thank you for the help; do you need anything else, or are you all set?"

Ramza returned the smile, ignoring a slightly blushing Lavian, "We'll be fine, thank you." The maid curtsied and left; Ramza, after waiting a moment for Lavian to move, entered the room. The three women within were similarly attired, hair damp from their wash; all looked to the door as Ramza walked in, carrying the food. Without words, he moved to the table, setting down the platter, and started to distribute the food, setting plates, ladling out the stew, and even cutting the bread. The women watched in silence, all slightly confused at his docile nature; they glanced at each other, and with a few shrugs, took their seats, waiting for Ramza to finish. Once he was done, the squire hesitated a moment, deciding whether he wanted to eat or clean first; in the silence, his stomach suddenly growled loudly, causing chuckles from the girls. This decided for him, and he plopped down into his seat, armed himself with a spoon and hunk of bread, and dug in, blushing in embarrassment from his talkative belly. The light laughter died as the women also started to eat.

The meal was filling, hearty, quiet, and quick; everyone was too tired and hungry to make small talk. They finished the whole pot of stew and most of the bread, leaving only a couple rolls remaining. Ramza sighed contently, mentally approving of his choice to eat first. Excusing himself from the table, the squire went to the tub to check the temperature of the water; he was pleasantly surprised to find it still slightly warm. Hearing stools moving, and the clattering of dishes, he turned, expecting the women to leave the room while he cleaned; Ramza was mistaken. Alicia and Lavian had quickly clambered into bed, and were grinning mischievously at the squire. Agrias was still sitting on her chair, combing her golden locks, also watching the squire with mild amusement; Belle had stood and approached the door, but, noticing the attitude of the other women, quietly walked to her bed, looking slightly confused.

Ramza gazed at Agrias, arching an eyebrow in a questioning manner; the holy knight, lips curling very slightly, replied, "You don't expect ladies like us to leave the safety of our room this late at night, dressed only in our slips, do you?"

Ramza hesitated, knowing that Agrias and her knights could handle any kind of mischief, but realizing it would be very rude for him to kick the ladies out. He felt his face reddening as the girl's eyes focus on him; shrugging, and giving a noncommittal grunt, he turned so his back was to them. _What is wrong with me? Every other comment from them is making my face burn; what am I, ten?_ Ramza lightly slapped his face, ignoring some chuckles from behind him, _Snap out of it, get cleaned, and go to sleep._ Steeling his nerves, the squire started to undress, feeling more comfortable without seeing himself being watched, even though he still felt eyes on his back.

Behind the squire, the four women watched Ramza intently, each with their own intentions. The first piece of clothing to go was the squire's shirt, leaving his back exposed to the girls. Lavian whistled provocatively, causing the man's head to turn around, his face flush; giggles erupted from the knight's bed. Wanting some answers, Ramza turned fully, looking at Agrias, and pointed to Lavian, asking, "Is she sick or something?"

The question caused more laughter, even Agrias cracking a full smile. The holy knight, her face slightly flushed, replied, "No, she always gets this way when she not in uniform. She's pretty bad tonight, though. It's always worse when she has a new… victim." Agrias finished with a chuckle. It was one of the things that the holy knight loved about Lavian; while on duty, she was a perfect knight - attentive, loyal, and focused. When you got the girl out of her uniform, though, it's as if she turned twelve again.

Ramza sighed, eyeing Lavian skeptically; the knight replied by sticking out her tongue at the squire. Throwing up his hands in defeat, he turned back to the tub, grabbing a wash cloth, and started to clean himself.

Agrias, along with everyone else, quieted, watching the squire clean; she couldn't help but admire the man. His back was very well defined, muscles rippling in a graceful motion as he washed himself. Scars peppered his back, from battles long ago. When he turned briefly to speak with the holy knight, she noticed his muscle definition was no less pleasing in front; the squire was built like an athlete. Agrias swallowed heavily, realizing that she had been staring at the squire too long; she gazed around the room, to see if anyone had noticed. She couldn't see Belle's face from this angle, but Ramza had her two knight's undivided attention. Realizing that she would not be ridiculed for her staring, and secretly wanting to watch more, she turned her gaze again to the squire, who had finished cleansing his torso and was in the process of removing his pants.

As Ramza pulled off his leggings, dressed now only in his undergarment, Lavian let out at another whistle, followed by a, "Take it off!" and finishing with a bout of laughter, as Ramza stumbled. Catching himself, and calming his breath, he pointedly ignored the woman and continued his cleansing. Lavian laughed when Ramza ignored her; she did enjoy making the boy blush. Watching him, she found the squire pleasing to the eye, but nothing beyond mild attraction; Lavian enjoyed her men softer. She did notice that both Alicia and Agrias were ogling the man, the former beet red and wide eyed. The knight was surprised that Agrias would stare so; the holy knight was not one to express interest in men. Not to say Agrias didn't like men – she did, having had a short lived fling a few years back. It never got far; Agrias never really fully opened up. It pleased the knight that Ramza affected Agrias so. Lavian's lip curled into a huge grin; this will be fun to dangle over her commander's head. Chuckling, she focused on the show, turning back to the man, who by this time had finished washing his legs and was staring at the bath, looking confused, as if he was puzzling something out.

Ramza had run into problem with his bird bath; finished with all easily accessible body parts, he only had his unmentionables left to clean. He shouldn't be so hesitant to clean himself; in the past he had campaigned with a co-ed troop, and many times did they have to share an area to bathe, but he knew those men and women for a long time, not just a few days like those with whom he was now. That and he knew if he dropped his shorts, it would be as a holiday for Lavian's taunts. An idea suddenly forming, he grabbed his drying towel and quickly wrapped around his midsection, holding it loose in one arm. Grinning in triumph, he removed his last piece of clothing and cleaned himself, ignoring a disappointed, "Awwww…" coming from behind him.

Lavian was the loudest participant of the friendly jeer, covering the voices of Alicia and Agrias, the former who had said it so softly she immediately denied it to herself, blushing at no one. Alicia, slightly lightheaded by the washing display, was slightly disappointed she did not see his… the knight burst into a giggle at the thought. Maybe she'd have the opportunity later. Face afire at her sinful thoughts, unable to watch anymore, and knowing that Ramza was done, the girl flung her sheets over her head to avoid a taunting from her friends.

Belle, who had been quiet for most of the evening, was the only woman not to fully enjoy the evening's entertainment; the chemist's eyes were clouded with intimidation and fear once she saw Ramza in the raw. The overwhelming aura of force she saw in the man frightened her, causing her mind to wander to darker days. She fought back against her shadows, telling herself that Ramza was not like them, that he would not hurt her. He promised. She repeated that to herself, even though another part of her told her that he could easily overpower her if he felt a whim to do so; Belle agreed with her darker self, seeing the bunching of muscles and tendons on the squire. His face, the part that she could see, caught her eye as she wallowed in doubt; it was red with embarrassment and set in a humorous concentrating face. She focused on it, and used it to reassure herself that he was a gentle man, and when he helped her, those eyes and hands were soft. She was able to trust him; much more so then she had ever trusted a man in many years. Her darkness dispelling, she was able to smile as Ramza finished, wrapping his towel around himself, and announcing, "Time for bed!"


	8. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 7

**Author Notes:** I'm not dead! I swear! I'm so sorry that this update is late. I came down with a severe case of life this past month, so I've been running around taking care of a hundred things. But I finally got this chapter written and edited.

While I did not get as far as I had originally planned for this chapter, I'm quite happy with it. I'm going to try to get the next chapter up earlier, as an apology for the tardiness of this one.

As always, a hefty "Thank You!" goes to all of my reviewers.

Enjoy.

* * *

Dawn was just starting to peak over the horizon when Ramza woke; he always was a light sleeper, and instinctively rose with the sun. He took a few moments to let his eyes adjust to the darkness, noticing he was the first one to wake. Ramza, stretching with a yawn, slid out of his bed, and started to rummage through his sack to get a change of cloths. It was quiet in the room, the noise of the street muffled by the windows, with the soft movements of the women shifting in their sleep accompanying Ramza's search. As he removed his outfit and started to dress himself, he pondered what his next step would be - primarily what to do with Belle. So deep in thought Ramza was, he did not notice the object of his pondering starting to move more erratically in her bunk, as if she was in a troubled sleep.

Belle was, in fact, experiencing a disturbing dream; her movements were quiet and subtle, and when she moaned in distress, it was soft and indistinguishable from the other soft sounds within the room. Her eyes moved back and forth as she saw figments and illusions of danger; her mind, staggered with doubt of her newfound freedom, created a lie: her whole rescue was a dream. She was not in a cozy bed, but out in the wilderness, trapped like an animal at the hands of Jacob and the Nanten soldiers. Her tormenter taunted her, crushing her hopes of freedom, and slowly stalked her, telling her the horrors he would soon inflict upon her body; the sounds around her were muffled and distorted, unclear and vague. Belle shook in her sleep, clutching her sheets and kicked, mimicking her imaginary actions, backing away from the approaching man. Her surroundings got hazy and sluggish; no matter how she tried to run, Jacob got closer. He hands moved to his belt, unclasping it; this sound was suddenly and shockingly clear.

Belle jerked awake, sitting up and gasping; that noise, of a belt buckle, terrified her. It was the sound she heard right before she was violated, and was imprinted in her mind. In an instant she found the source of her fear; her eyes locked onto Ramza.

The squire, who was innocently securing his pants with his belt, froze at the sudden movement from Belle; an uncomfortable silence hung between the two, and time seemed to slow. Belle was staring at the squire with wide eyes, holding her breath; even a blind man could see the fear painted on the chemist's face. The woman's mind was still foggy and she was having difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy; Belle was fighting down a scream, and Ramza sensed it. The squire, who also was not fully awake, realized that he was dressing himself rather close to her bed; thinking this might be the source of Belle's fear, Ramza shuffled backwards, away from the chemist, holding his hands up to assure her that he was harmless, and smiled reassuringly at her. His actions seemed to work, as Belle, relief flooding her as the man backed away, released her held breath, and started to breathe normally. Ramza, seeing that the danger of a shriek had passed, sighed in relief, and slowly sank to the floor.

Belle, staring at her hands, which were clasping her blanket tightly, felt her head clear. Now fully awake, a rapid torrent of different emotions flooded her; she was frightened of the realistic dream, embarrassed that someone, a male at that, saw her in a moment of weakness, relieved that her dream was just that, and she was free from her former tormenters, and she was angry at Ramza sneaking up on her! Belle, drawing on the anger to bolster herself, and completely ignoring a part of her mind that told her Ramza did nothing wrong, drew herself up, ready to give the squire a piece of her mind.

"I'm sorry."

Belle stuttered, staring at the man, "What?"

Ramza met the woman's gaze with a submissive bow of his head, "I'm sorry; something I did obviously startled you. I didn't mean to. So, I'm sorry." While speaking, Ramza stood and finished buckling his belt, breaking his gaze. Slowly, making no sudden movements, he walked to a shirt he had set out on the table, and started to don it.

Belle deflated as she stared at the man, her anger disappearing; watching the man gingerly dress himself, she realized that he was cringing. The man looked as if he was in trouble, as if he feared a strike from Belle, instead of the opposite! This epiphany astounded the chemist; she suddenly felt ashamed, and wanted to say something to the flinching man, but before she could get a word out, he spoke.

"Sorry, but I have some errands I have to do; I'll be back within an hour or so, I think. I'll leave you to your morning," Ramza, gaze dropping like a servant, ignored a protesting "But-!" from Belle, gave a slight bow, and with a, "Bye…" he slipped out of the door and was gone.

For a few minutes Belle just stared at the door the squire slunk out of, her mind processing the recent events. A dozen questions formed, primarily concerning Ramza's sudden downtrodden attitude; replaying his response and actions in her mind, she was quite sure that he was somehow expecting a strike. A sudden thought rushed to her brain, being that she, even though she was a captive, had some kind of power of the cringing man. Frowning, Belle thought that she should feel more elated at this prospect. After all, she had spent years of her life fearing the men she was forced to travel with, why not enjoy the feeling of power? The chemist shook her head; no, she did not feel powerful, but shameful, that Ramza had reacted so. Sighing heavily, Belle let her mind wander, waiting for the other women to rise.

Ramza, after leaving the room, found himself hesitating outside the door; his behavior was a trained reaction, one he had gotten from his long years traveling alone and with Gafgarion. Being a coward usually left you out of trouble, and, in a stressful situation, it was how Ramza reacted. A small part of his mind chided him, telling him that this was a shameful reaction; but, after a brief moment, he shrugged it off. It mattered not. He needed to focus now; first to find a place for Belle, then to find out where Delita headed. Ramza lightly slapped his cheeks, trying to drive the image of Belle from his mind; she was a lovely woman, but Ramza, honestly, did not want this responsibility. Having to take care of her brought back buried emotions and memories, things he had hoped were gone for good. Ramza shook his head with frustration; he wasn't sure of anything anymore. This job had broken his newly rebuilt moral foundation; Ramza was unsure he could rebuild it a first time, let alone a second now. The squire just wanted everything to go back to normal, if he could even call it that. _Great, now I don't know what 'normal' is anymore._ Ramza took a calming breath. _The only thing I'm sure of right now is that I want to live_. He frowned. _...I'm just not sure what to live for_. Ramza's head started to ache from thinking; pushing everything aside, he made his way downstairs.

The common room was mostly empty this early in the morning; a dozen maids scurried around, cleaning the tables and floor, and a half dozen men sat in chairs, all but one snoring in a puddle of their own drool. The one conscious man, dressed like a common peasant, watched Ramza as he entered the room. The squire noticed the man, but ignored him, seeing nothing threatening about a simple man enjoying breakfast. Instead, he started walking to the bar to speak with the owner, who was on the far side of the counter, preparing for the day. Ramza, looking at the slumbering men with mild amusement, was astonished that one could drink himself into a stupor. The squire snorted; he disliked all kinds of alcohol, feeling that its effects hindered one's survival instinct. A few of the maids, at this point, were trying to waken the drunkards, some with success, and some without; one such case broke out in front of the squire. The man, who was sleeping contently at the bar, disagreed with a maid's request to waken; after some pokes and prods, the man, astonishingly still drunk from the night before, stood with a roar, attempting a grab at the offending woman. Ramza, instinct kicking in, swiftly glided behind the man, grabbed his belt and shirt collar, and with a small grunt tossed the man out the door, opened earlier to air out the room.

Ramza smiled shyly at the maid's thanks, feeling embarrassed at the praise; he looked around, to see if any of the other drunkards were being violent. They were not, but the squire did notice that the alert man in the back was gone; something tickled the back of Ramza's skull, but before he could analyze the feeling, the owner of the bar, who was looking at Ramza with an appraising eye, approached him, breaking Ramza's concentration. The older man remarked, "Nice throw. Need a job?"

Raising an eyebrow, Ramza focused on the man, and replied, "Don't you already have a bouncer for these situations?"

The man grunted. "Yup," he pointed, "you just tossed him outside."

Ramza shrugged, "Sorry."

Cracking a small smile, the barkeep continued, "Don't be! Rolfe was no lightweight. I'll ask again – you looking for a job? It pays well; you get your own room, as much booze as you can drink," the fat man paused, watching Ramza's uninterested reaction, "and I'm sure your bed won't be lonely. You have my guarantee on that." The barkeep gave a lewd wink.

Ramza, suppressing a shudder, forced a smile, "No; thanks though. I already have a job," An idea struck the squire, "But perhaps you can help me. I'm sure you know where I could find a skilled chemist…"

--

About a half hour after Belle rose, the other three women woke, joining her morning. Alicia was the first to notice the absence of the squire, and she asked Belle where he went.

"I'm not sure, exactly. He said he had some errands to do, and he'd be back within a… half hour, now." Belle softly answered, toying with the hem of her shirt while she sat on her bed.

Agrias felt a small prick of suspicion at Ramza's sudden absence, but she brushed it away, reminding herself that they are, for now, on the same side; and, though she would not admit it to herself, she wanted to trust the squire. Shrugging, she told the woman, "Let's just get ready to go; we're wasting precious daylight. I want that rogue knight caught."

Almost an hour had passed since Ramza left the room; Agrias and her knights had suited up, eaten the leftover bread, and were ready to leave their room when the holy knight heard a soft knock at the door. Confused, not recalling ordering any kind of room service, she went over and opened it, revealing Ramza. Confusion deepening, Agrias asked, "Why'd you knock? It's your room, too."

The squire just shrugged and slipped past the holy knight; walking to the table, he pulled out a map and rolled it out. Belle looked up swiftly, and took a step forward, wanting to talk with the man; she wasn't sure what she would tell him, but she felt like she should speak with him, whether it be about what he'll do with her, or what was done to her. Her attempt was denied, as, without preamble, he spoke, "Good news," the women joined him around the table, looking at a map of Ivalice, "Delita and the Princess left the East Gate in the dead of night, about four hours ago."

"What?! How do you know this?" Agrias exclaimed.

The squire shifted, and gave another shrug, "I went to the city barracks and spoke to the guards on the midnight shift."

Agrias looked doubtfully at the man, "You just waltzed up to some off duty guards and asked? That's unlikely. They must have lied to you, or something. Guards don't just go around giving out information!"

Ramza, for the first time meeting Agrias's gaze, softly spoke, "It's not as if the information was secret. They need to put in their report anyways; and if you actually take the time to ask people questions, I find they're willing to talk." Eyes shifting back to the map, he continued, "Delita must have a high rank. They don't let a common man out the gates after midnight or before dawn."

Agrias stared at the man as he talked; was it really that easy to get information? She wouldn't know. She was usually given reports, not the one giving. As she stared, she noticed there was a subtle change in Ramza; his body language was different, more hesitant and meek. That was strange. Agrias shook her head, and focused back to what Ramza was saying.

"I'm not sure where he's heading, but I do know that he will continue east. He always did pick the shortest path to his goal." Ramza brushed away his resurfacing memories, "But we should be able to catch him in a few days, given his need for rest and our advantage of a carriage." He paused for a few moments, while Agrias softly nodded in agreement. The squire busied himself by packing up his map; the two knights, with the short meeting done, went back over to their gear, while Agrias and Belle remained at the table, the holy knight observing Ramza more intently, the chemist fidgeting.

Belle, unable to wait, blurted, "Ramza-"

"As for you," Ramza interrupted, looking at the chemist with tired eyes, "I tried to get some kind of apprenticeship for you with a chemist here; it seems like all professions are ruled by their respective guild here in Dorter. It will take months of legal mumbo-jumbo to get you a teacher." Belle and Agrias stared at the man, both slightly startled; not at Ramza's words, but how he spoke them. Ramza did not speak coldly, but there was no warmth in his voice; he spoke as if he was finally done with a chore. "I already started the proceedings, but you'll need a place to stay and work until then." The squire's lips tightened slightly, "The owner here has… generously… offered you a job; you'll be a waitress. You'll make enough to get by."

Belle froze, staring at the man with a hint of horror; he just so casually dismissed her. Where was the kindness from yesterday, the promise of help? _He did help you, remember? It was only until he got you here._ Belle's lips tightened, her hands clenched; for some wild reason, she expected more from the squire. She didn't want to work here; _I don't think I can live with disgusting men trying to touch me, or getting catcalls from them_. The more she dwelled on those images, the more she started to panic. She wouldn't work here! Belle hissed in a breath-

"No!"

All eyes turned to the woman who spoke; not Belle, who released her breath in amazement, but Alicia, who blushed and felt embarrassed at the four sets of eyes that suddenly focused in on her. The knight spoke on instinct, knowing of what Belle had gone through, and realizing that it would be like hell for her here. Now that she had everyone's attention, though, she wasn't sure what she could do. Looking over at Ramza, who looked indifferent to the entire situation, Alicia hesitatingly spoke, "Um, what I mean is… this is an unacceptable solution." The knight thought quickly, "We shouldn't just dump her here; let us wait until the next town, and we can find her a good job." Alicia smiled at the squire, hoping he'd buy the idea.

Ramza disappointed again, as he just shrugged, replying weakly, "Gafgarion ordered me to release the prisoner here." This wasn't exactly true, but it sounded better then what the dark knight really told him. "It's out of my hands."

Alicia flared up at the squire's meekness. "Are you only capable at cowering at that despicable man's orders? Be a man!" The words left her mouth before she could think of them twice. Alicia, hearing her own words, sucked in a breath, and waited to see what Ramza would do.

The words did strike the squire, as his hands clenched, his jaw tightened, and a flash of light briefly burned in his eyes, but, much to the knight's distress, the fire died quickly, and Ramza, eyes lowering in a pitying shame, shrugged, "Sorry…"

Alicia frowned at the man, wondering what had changed him from yesterday, and was saddened that he did change. Regardless, he was no more help; the knight turned to her commander, Agrias, "Why don't we take her, then?" It was an unorthodox idea, and only due to desperation was Alicia even suggesting it. "We could use her help, right? I trust her; she'll help. You can make her part of the guard." Alicia's eyes were going wide in her haste, and she was starting to speak too quickly, "Another sword wouldn't hurt in our rescue. We-"

"Alright, Alicia, you've made your point!" Agrias interrupted the near hysterical woman. She turned her gaze to Belle, who was staring at Alicia with amazement and… appreciation? The two women seemed to have bonded in their carriage ride the night before; and Alicia spoke the truth. Another soldier would be helpful. "Belle," the chemist snapped her eyes to the holy knight, "you did wear the Nanten colors; how can I trust you?"

"I may have worn the colors, but I hold no loyalty to any Nanten dog!" Belle's answer was immediate.

The holy knight was startled at the malice and venom in the woman's voice, even though this could be an elaborate ruse. Agrias pondered, wondering if it would be safe to take the chemist with her.

Seeing Agrias hesitate, Alicia spoke up, "I'll be her First!"

The holy knight raised an eyebrow at her friend's words; this is a great responsibility Alicia just spoke. It was an old law, in the rare occurrence that an enemy combatant joins the knight's order. Naturally, commanders are highly suspicious of deserters, and a First acts as two things; first, someone to keep an eye on the new renegade, and second, as an act of trust, as the First shares all punishments received by the turncoat, even execution if the deserter betrays the knights. In all of Agrias's time commanding, there have only been a half dozen instances. Alicia must truly trust Belle to so willingly be her First.

Lavian, who was quietly observing the whole thing, sighed and rubbed her neck; trust Alicia to jump headlong into law's she doesn't fully understand. The older knight took a step forward, "Sheesh, if it's this important to you Alicia… I'll be Belle's Second." Lavian grinned at Alicia's beaming face, and barked a laugh at Agrias's astonished look. Lavian turned to her commander, "Can't be helped. You know how stubborn Alicia is."

Agrias nodded slowly; a Second is like a First, and showed a lot of trust in the potential recruit. Sighing heavily, Agrias turned to Alicia and Belle, "Looks like you've already won the trust of my knights," Agrias smiled warmly at the chemist, "and that's good enough for me. Welcome aboard."

Before Belle and Alicia could breath thanks and appreciation, a low voice cut through the air, reaching the women's ears, "Now wait a second here; aren't we forgetting something?" It was Ramza who spoke up, his eyes covered by his bangs so no one could read his expression, "Belle is still my prisoner, and will be until I release her from my bond."

The four women waited in silence, not believing that Ramza would deny Belle an opportunity to join them, but their fears were soon absolved, as the squire stood, quickly approached Belle, and, placing a hand on her shoulder, told her, "I release you from your bond, Belle; with the King's blessing, I wish you joy and happiness in your new found freedom." Ramza spoke the ritualistic words precisely, so all could hear; lowering his head so Belle felt his breath on her cheek, he gave her a sad smile, and whispered to her ears, "Truly I wish I could have done more for you; this is the last thing within my power to give you. Agrias will treat you well, and, for as long as we travel together, you still have my protection."

Belle, looking into the squire eyes, could see the conflict that was waging within his soul; the kind man who stood before her raged against his craven half. She felt a kindred spirit in this man, someone else who was battling inner demons. She smiled shyly, and nodded; feeling a connection, and speaking instinctively, she whispered to Ramza, "Does he hold that much power over you?"

Ramza, who flinched so slightly that only Belle noticed, knew who she was referring to, grit his jaw, and found himself replying, "Sometimes it hurts less to follow a bad leader than be one yourself…" Ramza quieted, not believing what he shared with the chemist, and withdrew away from the woman. Painting on a smile, he told the knights, "Belle is now a free woman, and can do as she pleases," face turning to a genuine grin, he finished, "and Gafgarion can do nothing against her."

Agrias slowly nodded, as Alicia and Lavian gave their new comrade a hearty pat; Ramza was more complicated then she had originally thought. What was his past, why was he showing sudden moments of inspiration, then reverting to cowardice? And why was she so damned interested in the boy! The holy knight growled softly; now was no time to lose focus! It didn't matter anyways; once she rescued the Princess, she would never see this frustrating man again, and no longer think of him.

"Ok, now's not time to lose focus!" Agrias echoed her own thoughts. "Let's get going! Ramza, could you-" the holy knight was going ask the squire to give Belle back her equipment, but Ramza had read her mind, digging though his pack to give Belle a new set of wizard robes, along with a handy knife that, if used properly, could blind an opponent, thus it was commonly referred to as a blind knife. Belle, holding her new equipment, gave a squeal of thanks, beaming at the blushing man.

Alicia was confused at why Ramza gave the chemist robes. "Why'd you give her robes? Wouldn't light armor have been better?"

Ramza glanced at Alicia, and told her, "Belle here can use some kind of magic, black, most likely; she tried to use it on me when we first, uh, met." He gave a half grin at Belle's nervous chuckling, undoubtedly recalling their first encounter. "I thought she'd be more comfortable slinging her spells in robes; besides, they offer better protection than the leather vest she had on."

Turning quickly to her new friend and companion, Alicia squeaked, "You can use magic?! What kind?"

Belle smiled, "I'm rather adept in black magic. I've mastered all of the basic elements and most of the advanced, focusing primarily with ice."

"You must teach me some!" Alicia held onto the chemist's arm and looked wide-eyed. "I've always wanted to learn magic."

Belle chuckled, "First you need to know some chemistry." Alicia's face fell, telling the chemist that the knight knew little or no chemistry, "But I'd also be happy to teach you my chemist skills as well." Belle laughed when Alicia's face brightened.

"That's all very good and dandy, but you two can work on that later," came from Agrias, who was standing beside Lavian fully equipped and shifting impatiently, "but right now we gotta go. Belle, suite up and meet us downstairs." Belle nodded an affirmative, and the three knights left the room, Ramza having slipped out minutes before.

Downstairs, Agrias's knights met up with Gafgarion and his mercenaries, both the dark knight and Rad looking rested and bored, and both pointedly ignoring Ramza, who was hovering behind them. "It's about time you three got down here; we've been waiting for hours! It's just like girls to make a man wait." Gafgarion mocked the women, waiting for a reaction. Only Agrias looked annoyed at the dark knight, her soldiers professionally ignoring the jab. Gafgarion turned to the exit, "Let's be gone, then. We have a precious princess to rescue, after all."

"Hold a moment; we're still waiting for one more." Agrias kept her face smooth, containing a grin that wanted to show, knowing that the dark knight would not agree with the newest addition. Agrias was not disappointed, as Gafgarion turned back to her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. His surprise turned to anger as he saw Belle descend the stairs, dressed in new equipment, walking over to the holy knight. "Gafgarion, let me introduce my friend Belle, who will be traveling with us from here out."

At Agrias's words, Gafgarion's anger turned to fury; the women tensed, thinking the man would lunge at Belle, but were startled as he turned, took a few steps, and grasped Ramza roughly around the neck. Shoving the squire, Gafgarion slammed and pinned the man against the wall, spitting out, "You were told to get rid of that fucking whore! I even fucking warned you about disobeying me again! Do you have a fucking deathwish, you faggot?" As he spoke, the dark knight's fist tightened around Ramza's throat, choking the squire.

There was an angry gasp behind the dark knight; Agrias and her friends were momentarily shocked at Gafgarion's actions. Agrias was horrified that the squire wasn't even fighting back! Muttering a curse, the holy knight took a step forward; hand grasping her sword, ready to strike the dark knight down, her soldiers followed her lead, all four with rage and worry in their eyes. Ramza, who had been staring at Gafgarion, flicked his eyes to the women, and motioned with his hand to stop; without realizing it, they all did. The squire gasped out, "'Get rid…of that… whore. I don't care how or… where, as long as… she's not weighing you down.' …that was what you told me… exactly, word for word…" Ramza's voice was haggard and forced; he pointed to the women, "They bear witness… of Belle's freedom. What she did after… I released her from… my bond is beyond my… control." Ramza slowly brought his hand up and grabbed the dark knights crushing phalanges, freeing his airways so he could breathe easier. The squire grinned, "I did exactly as you told me to do, _sir_, and in no way disobeyed an order. You should keep things professional, remember?"

Tension was heavy in the air as the two men stared each other down; Gafgarion's hand was fully removed from Ramza's throat, with the squire holding the dark knight's arm in the air between them. Silence dragged on as Gafgarion calculated and weighed Ramza's words, trying to find a loophole or falseness. Abruptly, Gafgarion twisted his arm out of Ramza's grasp, turning his back to the squire, his face cold once again, "You live today due to a technicality, Boy." Looking at the shocked faces around him, the dark knight shrugged, "Your princess is getting away." And with that he, Rad following close behind, left the tavern.

Ramza, who was softly rubbing his neck, shrugged away any question of health, and quietly left the building. The four women hesitated inside, looking at each other and the door through which the squire had left. The man had made an impression on all four of them, and they all found themselves questioning his reasons for traveling with the dark knight. Agrias sighed, "Let's go ladies…"

Outside the carriage was waiting for them, Ramza speaking with the stableman; as Agrias approached the vehicle, the squire retreated, heading back to where Gafgarion and Rad stood. Agrias frowned at Ramza, wishing he wouldn't act so timidly. So intent was the holy knight in watching the squire, she did not hear the stableman tell her that the carriage was all prepared to go until she got a nudge from Lavian. Fighting a blush, she nodded to the boy, pressed a small gil coin into his hand, and climbed to the driver's seat, calling down to the group, "We go through the East Gate; within a day or two we apprehend the knight who kidnapped the princess." The three women, and Ramza, nodded with agreement, Gafgarion and Rad ignoring the holy knight completely; nevertheless, everyone turned east, and started to the East Gate.


	9. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 8

**Author Notes:** Salutations! This chapter gave me some writer's block, so it's just a little late. Um, there is really not much for me to comment about, which is good for you; you get to the story sooner. Last chapter I had Gafgarion use a word that probably would not have been commonplace in Ivalice's times. I didn't feel that a word like "knave" would have been strong enough, hence the word I used. I hope not to lapse too much into present-day phrases.

Also, I mentioned earlier that I was sticking to the original FFT terms; I lied. Sorry. I decided to use the new magic names, such as "Cura" or "Thundaja" instead of "Cure 2" and "Bolt 4". makes more sense (even though Thunder is a lightning spell... Boltaja? That sounds weird). But, for all else, original terms.

Enjoy, and review; gotta know what my readers like/dislike, ya know.

* * *

The day was still very young, and quiet, as the carriage moved its way to the East Gate; the common worker would just be leaving his home to start his long day. The road the party traveled was an inclining one, as the eastern part of Dorter was built on the side of a hill. Agrias, atop the carriage with Lavian, led the brown chocobos at a leisurely pace, not wanting to wear them out due to the climb; they would need all the energy they could get. Agrias expected a long day ahead, and she knew her knights expected the same. Not wanting to spend the entire day silently, and seeing nothing of interest in the vacant street, the holy knight gossiped with Lavian, who was also casually glancing at the empty area.

At first, no one noticed it; why would any of them worry? They were still within the borders of the town, where there were regular patrols, and were quite safe. Long minutes passed as the group traveled onward and upwards, only a quiet street witnessing their expedition. Ramza, behind the carriage, acting as rear guard, was the first to notice; where were all the people? Men and women should be out in droves by now, heading to their workplace, or preparing for the nights meal, or doing one of the hundred chores that needed to be done for the day. The squire's shoulder twitched; something was wrong. He inspected the buildings they passed in more detail; there were small shifts in the windows or doors, as if someone was peeking out from behind them. He looked to Gafgarion, who was now noticing the absence of activity; the dark knight nodded, and fingered his sword.

Ramza, sprinting forward to the front of the carriage, called out to Agrias. The holy knight shifted, turning to respond to the man; before the squire could call a warning, a hissing sound split the morning air. An arrow quivered from the empty space that Agrias had very recently occupied; if the holy knight had not moved, instead of hitting wood, it would have hit her chest. Luck had saved the holy knight from that fate.

Ramza, without hesitation, yelled aloud, "AMBUSH!"

Agrias and her knights acted quickly and professionally; the holy knight halted the carriage, following Lavian by jumping off the vehicle. Out from the inner chamber, Alicia and Belle tumbled out, joining the other two women. The four got into ranks by the time eight figures emerged from the shadows on the streets ahead. Ramza, who had joined the women, his sword already drawn, swore aloud, causing an arched eyebrow from Agrias. The squire ignored the holy knight's look, concentrating on the enemies above. Four of them were dressed in light armor, armed with various daggers; probably thieves. Two, also armored with light leather, held longbows clasped in their hands, and were most definitely archers. The last two were the cause of Ramza's expletive; armored in robes and face-obscuring hats, these two wizards would be trouble. Black magic was capable of causing massive destruction on the battlefield, depending on how competent these two men were at their dark art. They would have to be dealt with immediately.

Gafgarion, who had joined the rest of the group with Rad, calmly, casually, and mockingly, asked Agrias, "Ambush? Going all out, huh?"

The holy knight flared at the man's impudence, "If you don't like it, you can leave!"

Gafgarion shrugged, taunting the woman, "I don't usually do freebies, but I'll make an exception for you." He grinned, taking a moment to leer at Agrias, "Perhaps you'll return the favor? There has yet to be a woman who has not given me a freebie…"

Pure revulsion rose through Agrias, who hissed out, "You patronizing…"

The holy knight's words got no further as the enemy chose this time to attack; Agrias, thankful that the odds were basically one on one, called out to orders, "Lavian, Alicia, take out those thieves; Belle, support with potions. Hold until I say." Agrias did not see the nods, as she closed her eyes, concentrated, and chanted a basic spell, granting the four women, and Ramza, who scurried within the spells boundaries, some resistance to magic. Once the women, and Ramza, were protected by Shell, Agrias barked, "Go!"

Gafgarion, who watched the women prep with little interest, gave a much simpler order to his subordinates, "Kill 'em all!" There was a stark difference in the two men's response; Rad nodded gleefully, giggling madly as he drew his twin dirks and facing one of the archers, enthusiastic at the thought of having blood run down his arms again.

Agrias, who decided to stay in the back as support with her white magic, was able to observe Ramza's reaction to the orders, and was startled. No emotion entered the man's face as he nodded once, curt and cold. The bright eyes that Agrias admired dulled, as if the squire's brain had gone blank. With a startling quickness, Ramza sprinted up the road, alone. Lavian, Alicia, and Rad blinked in surprise, but quickly followed the squire in his charge, only a few steps behind him; there was a violent clash as the two sides met full force. The holy knight did not have the opportunity last battle to watch the squire fight, and did so now, prepping a Protect spell for her knights.

The two men did not stay long in the scuffle; Ramza, tumbling among the thieves with equal grace as the nimble fighters, quickly disengaged himself from the fight. The squire took a gash to the arm from one of the enemy, and gave in return a gaping belly wound. The thief, wounded but not out, thought to turn around and pursue the fleeing squire when Rad, following Ramza's path through the brawl, left one of his sharp dirks in the man's throat, ending the man's life. Rad, now with only one sharp dagger, quickly split from Ramza, dashing to one of the archers. Ramza, now behind the battling thieves and knights, turned to the two wizards.

Agrias watched Ramza move with slight amazement; the man moved through the thieves as if he once was one. He knew when to dodge and how to tumble like them, but he also knew when and how to take a hit, like a knight. She saw the scuffle; Ramza deliberately took the cut to his arm. He could have avoided it, but that action would have left him open to a more dangerous attack. It confused the holy knight; thieves dodge everything, usually with little foresight. It was how they were trained, and for the most part it kept them alive, as they wore little protection and carried small arms. More things about Ramza's past that were unknown and, heaven help her, she wanted to know.

Agrias shifted her sight to how her knights were faring against the remaining thieves; it was a stalemate. The knights had the advantage of heavy armor to block the attacks and dangerous blades, but the knights were having a hard time landing a strike against the nimble thieves. Rad was sprinting to one of the archers, who was targeting the charging squire with his longbow, and Gafgarion was just… standing there. Watching the battle as Agrias was, but without any interest, as if he was bored with the whole affair. Agrias snorted, and knew what the dark knight would do; once a foe was near death, he would lumber in with this Night Sword technique and claim the kill as his own.

Ramza shared none of Agrias's very busy thoughts; in fact, from the time Gafgarion uttered his orders, Ramza's mind blanked. The reaction was ingrained into the squire since his self-enforced exile. During the first few minutes of the fight, Ramza's mind was gloriously free, and it was as if old times returned to him. For those few moments he was able to pretend that he had never met Agrias, Lavian, Alicia, or Belle; their presence had not thrown his new lifestyle, however pathetic it may be, into chaos. He could act instinctually, uninhibited by worry or care, whether for him or any allies. One thing he learned quickly when he joined Gafgarion's group was that though they may be a team, it was in words only, and in reality it was every man for himself. He passed through the thieves with ease, not caring about the world around him, only what was in front of him. Ignoring the damage he took, and ignoring the fates of the women and men behind him, he chose his next target. His grin turned feral; those wizards stood no chance.

The wizards, taking only a few steps forward, started weaving their hands and arms in the air, starting the complicated spell slinging process. Ramza was no novice in facing magic users, and took a moment to watch the mystical dance; if a skilled warrior, or one adept in magic, watched the precise movement, one could decipher what the spell would be, how powerful it was, even who the target is. Lessons from what seemed like a lifetime ago echoed in Ramza's head _Remember recruits, casting magic has three phases. First is the incantation; this is the time where the magic user prepares the spell. Second, is the imbuement, or charging; this is when the caster gathers enough energy to release the spell. Lastly, is the discharge; I shouldn't have to explain this to you, cadets._ Ramza grinned; he could almost hear the Sergeant's gruff voice. The squire would follow his old teacher's advice, and attack when the wizards were at their weakest: while they were imbuing.

The wizards' movements stopped, and they held their hands up into the air, finishing the incantation. Ramza's eyes widened; he knew what they were going to cast and the relative power of the spells. What surprised him was that he was not being targeted by the basic Fire and Thunder spells, but the targets stood somewhere behind him. He told himself not to look, not to care; he should just count himself lucky and continue his charge, ripping the wizards to shreds. So what if they were able to cast their spells before he was able to finish them off? He didn't care. It was not his problem. This is all what Ramza told himself, and promptly ignored his own advice, turning so he could see the intended targets.

Behind the squire, Alicia and Lavian fought skillfully against their foes; the skill and ease that the two knights supported each other balanced out their very slight disadvantage of the third thief. Still, they were hard-pressed to land a hit against the nimble fighters, so the two factions stood at a slight standstill, until one side made a mistake.

Magic has a presence; even though no one can see the spell until it is completed, one who is the target of a spell, any spell, benign or malicious, can feel it. At first, the feeling is akin to an inch or faint breath upon skin. As the spell gathers power and nears completion, aspects of the magic are felt. For black magic, an art form of pure power and destruction, fear and violence are usually experienced by the victim. This is the feeling that the two young knights feel upon their necks.

Lavian was a veteran of many battles, and had been targeted and wounded by magic before in her past; regardless of the past experience, she would never get used to this horrible feeling. She felt an impending doom creep upon her and tried to take it in stride. Even though she knew it was coming, she still feared what it would be; would the spell kill her? Would it do no more damage then a cut? Was it fire? Lavian hated fire. But Lavian was hardened; her friend, however, was not. This was the first time Alicia felt the cold touch of an enemies spell caress her; she had spells cast upon her before, in her academy days, but those were from friends, with precautions, and without cruel intent. Those times she felt nothing but an itch; it was much different when a foe really wanted you dead. Alicia's attacks started to waver.

Ramza watched as the young knight's attacks started to falter, and knew that she would be overwhelmed by the spells effect in combination to the pressing onslaught by the thieves. Alicia could die. Suddenly, Ramza knew he couldn't lie to himself and not care anymore. The squire cursed aloud; even though his soul felt lighter due to this revelation, even more trouble had now been piled on his back. Dusting off his thinking cap, the squire weighed his options, and thought hard. Ramza was no longer fighting just for himself. His past skills returned quickly; startlingly quickly to the young man. Ramza grimaced; he was somewhat disgusted that what had taken him a year to bury resurfaced within seconds, as if delighted to be used again. His eyes drifted the battlefield, settling on Belle. Within a heartbeat, a plan was formed; it was dangerous, and foolhardy, but they always were. He drew breath, staring hard at the chemist, and barked out the first order he had in a very long time, "Belle! Cast Blizzara; target me!"

Belle, who was holding a potion tightly in her hand, ready to toss the item at a friend who needed its curative power, stared at the squire with disbelief, "What? No!" She couldn't have heard that correctly; while not her most powerful spell, if she cast it on the squire she could kill him. He couldn't be serious, he must have meant something else, "I-"

Ramza had no time to argue, and he roared, "NOW!"

Startled by the sudden force in the squire's voice, Belle jumped in surprise, dropped the potion, which shattered on the stone street, and involuntarily started to weave her hands for the incantation of her spell, targeting the squire. As she chanted, she saw Ramza turn away, and continue his charge to the wizards. She could not fathom why she followed the squire's orders; his voice and eyes demanded it of her and expected her obedience, but they also seemed to ask her to trust him. It was strange; she had been ordered many times by men, sometimes in battle, sometimes without. The force that they had projected was dominance; Ramza, somehow, projected trust. Belle ignored Agrias' cry, telling her to stop; it was too late for the chemist. Belle still felt uncomfortable, as she completed her incantation and raised her hands to the sky to channel energy, but she had to believe that Ramza knew what he was doing. She would trust him.

Ramza, who now felt the itch of magic hang over him menacingly, rushed the wizards. He knew, with good certainty, he could eliminate one of the men. It was the second threat that he was unsure he could quench before the deadly magic ripped through the air. Ripped through Alicia and Lavian. Ramza cursed once again, and forced his mind blank, focusing on what he must do now. He calculated everything, weighed the possibilities, and estimated the competence of the magic users. Belle should make it in time; he really hoped Belle would make it in time, else this plan would be for naught. Ramza, reaching where the two wizards stood, dove forward, tumbling past the first one to rest before the second. As the squire tumbled forward, he lashed out with his fist, hitting the man hard on his side; while the attack did little damage, besides winding the man, Ramza was able to break his concentration. Not completely, only momentarily, stalling the knights' impending doom by mere seconds; it was enough for the squire, who, now ignoring the wizard who stood at his back, lashed out against the second man. The wizard, unprepared for the sudden attack, thinking himself safe as the first wizard was an easier target, was unable to block the attack, and saw death as it claimed him. Ramza's thrust slipped past robe, skin, and chest, piercing the wizard through his heart. The squire wanted to kill the man as mercifully as possible, and an instant strike to the heart would give the wizard as painless of a death Ramza could give; nevertheless, this attack was not for the faint of heart, for as Ramza removed his blade from the corpse, blood spurted outward, drenching the squire's face, arm, and torso in the wizard's lifeblood.

Just as the wizard fell, Ramza felt Belle's hovering spell finish its charge; shards of sharp, cold, ice formed around Ramza, and the wizard behind him. With sudden violence, the shards exploded, the tiny ice blades ripped into Ramza, and more importantly, into the last wizard. The foe, who did not even begin to suspect a magical attack, died instantly, the force of Belle's spell shredding the man's flesh. Ramza fared slightly better, as he had more protection on and was prepared for the spell; even so, Belle's power was great, and Ramza took heavy damage.

Agrias, who had heard the squire's order, initially felt irked that he would dare order her soldiers around; the irritation turned to incredulity as Belle actually followed the man's insane command. She called out to Belle to stop, but by that time it was too late; once a spell gets past its incantation, the caster is trapped. The spell must be completed. The holy knight watched as Ramza dodged one wizard to slay the other; at first, it made no sense. Why would he ignore the first one, and go for the second? It was then, as she saw the first falter, as she saw the second slain, and as she heard Belle complete her spell, she knew what Ramza was planning. It was insane. It was suicidal. It was foolish! It was near _genius_.

All casters have limitations to how far they can project their spells; Belle, being at the far end of this impromptu battlefield, could not target the wizards even if she wished it, nor could the wizards target Belle, Agrias, or Gafgarion, as they were of equal distance. The thieves, knights, and Ramza, being in the middle of the field, are within the spells range, and could be targeted. Ramza used himself as a mobile target, having Belle target him so he could move the spell to greater range. Without the proper protection, amulets or armors that absorb or negate certain elements of magic, it was a very stupid thing to do.

Lavian and Alicia, who had been hard pressed by the thieves, scoring only minor hits on the three of them, and getting a few minor in return, had to force themselves not to shout at Ramza when he gave that ridiculous order. As Ramza charged the knights, they chanced a glance, to watch what he would do; they admired his ability to weave around the wizards so, but the admiration turned to horror as they saw the full effects of Belle's spell. The two knights were not the only ones who paused to gape at the scene; the thieves, after the sudden loss of their magic support, hesitated, suddenly not so secure in their position. Lavian grabbed the chance, and quickly ran a thief through, while bashing a second one with her shield; as much as Alicia wanted to run to Ramza, check if he was ok, tend his wounds, her training kicked in. Alicia could no longer feel the crushing despair of magic hanging above her, and the fact that Ramza still stood gave her courage; following Lavian's attack, she sliced the dazed thief across the face, causing him to scream and fall to the floor. Alicia tried to follow with a shield bash of her own, but the last thief shook himself out of his stupor, and dodged.

The last thief, no longer thinking of the reward gil for each head taken, turned from the battle to flee. Unfortunately for him, Gafgarion decided at this time, when his allies were winning, to join the fight, and the thief ran right into the intimidating man. The thief, not wanting to confront the dark knight at all, feinted an attack and tried to run past the warrior. Gafgarion would have none of it, and ignored the feint, striking the fleeing thief in the back. The wound was painful, but the thief would live, and he continued to run, counting his lucky stars that the dark knight was not following. Gafgarion sneered at the retreating man; he did not have to follow. The dark knight hissed into the air "Night Sword!", pointing his blade at the thief; the dark arts struck the man down, draining his remaining life force, killing him, and returning the energy to Gafgarion.

Up above, on the rooftop, Rad had used the distraction of Belle's spell to finally close the distance with the archer; the archer had kept Rad at bay by moving quickly around the slate roofs, shooting arrows in Rad's path. Thanks to the fool Ramza, the archer was finally unable to keep pace with Rad, and he quickly closed the distance, slashing first the archer's arm, causing him to drop his bow, then, crouching and spinning, hamstringing the stunned man, who collapsed to the ground, one leg no longer able to support his weight. Rad quickly looked around, noticing that the last archer, releasing his final shot at the group below, turned tail and fled. Rad shrugged; no one was close enough to get to the archer, and besides, Rad has a still living man to play with…

At the streets, everyone, with the exception of Gafgarion, who sighed morosely and leaned against a wall, was startled by the sudden finality of the fight. It seemed to last hours, but was over in mere minutes. Agrias and Belle sprinted forward to Ramza, who, energy spent, fell to the ground; he was alive, but seriously wounded, and loosing blood. Belle arrived first and dropped to her knees, drawing out a potion, cradling Ramza's head, and slowly poured the tonic down his throat while whispering to the man, "Sorry!" Agrias, only a step behind the chemist, started to chant her Cura spell; the potion stopped the bleeding but did not repair the wounds. Lavian and Alicia quickly joined their officer, waiting within the boundaries of her spell to get their own cuts healed as well. Moments later, all surrounding Ramza felt the gentile caress of Agrias's spell; Belle and Agrias, who received no wounds during the fight, just felt the spells touch, while Alicia and Lavian felt their multiple, but minor, injuries heal.

Ramza, feeling much better after both Belle's and Agrias's medications; accepting Agrias's offering hand, he hauled himself up to his feet. Agrias's hand lingered in Ramza's as he regained his balance; dropping the grasp, the holy knight tried her best to glare at the man. There was a moment of silence as Ramza looked appropriately abashed under Agrias's gaze; she broke the silence by asking, her voice strained, "That was the most idiotic thing you could have possibly done!"

Ramza, who suddenly grinned, replied, "I'm glad you're ok, too."

Agrias sputtered, clenching a fist. By his own orders, the man almost got himself killed by Belle, and he just… The holy knight let out a growl, trying to get angry at the squire, but when she saw his toothy grin, the anger died. Dammit. Instead of the scorching scolding she should give Ramza, Agrias just punched the man on the shoulder, muttering, "Just don't scare us like that again," she pulled out a rag from her belt, adding, "and wipe off. You look frightful."

Ramza, rubbing the sore spot made by Agrias's none-too-gentile tap, shrugged, and took the rag, "No guarantees." Looking at the frowning faces, he amended, "But I'll try not to do something so reckless again." With that, he quickly wiped the blood from his face and arms, soaking up as much of the dark fluid as he could. Ramza sighed; he had just taken a nice bath, too. Such is life.

"Good enough," Agrias grumbled; the holy knight quickly surveyed the area, doing quick body count. The bodies of the four thieves were cluttering the street, while the two wizard corpses lay to the side; the two archers were unaccounted for, as she could not see over the rooftops, Agrias assumed they were either dead or fled. She was pondering what to do with the bodies when Ramza spoke for her.

"We should check the bodies for anything useful, and pile them up, but we should do it quick. I'm not sure how long these bandits bought the town guard." As he spoke, the squire knelt to search one of the wizards.

Agrias begrudgingly agreed with Ramza, on both points; their scuffle had made a lot of noise, but no town guard had shown. The thieves must have bribed those on duty to "forget" to patrol this street. Even though she was very reluctant to loot corpses, anything they might find would be helpful; they were to have a long trip, and any extra gil would be useful. Before she could voice her agreement, a death scream tore through the air from the rooftops; it lasted only a moment before it was abruptly cut off, but the sound lingered in her ears, causing shivers to spread through her. Ashamed, Agrias didn't feel too bad about her reaction, as her knights, and chemist, were affected similarly. All turned their heads to the source of the scream, only to find a blood-drenched Rad merrily hopping down from the rooftop.

Ramza snorted with disgust at the other man; Ramza would wash off the stink of blood as soon as he could, but Rad would probably wear the scent for days. The squire turned from the women, with a soft, "Pardon," and hurried over to the dead thieves, grabbing two, and dragged them to where the wizards lay. Ramza's movement shook the four women out of their shock, and Agrias quietly ordered Belle to search the bodies, Lavian to assist Ramza, and Alicia to get the carriage ready. Her subordinates moved quickly, not wanting to linger in the area; Alicia, in particular, sprinted to the carriage, not wanting to be near Rad, who could be overheard gloating to Gafgarion about what he did to that poor archer.

Alicia, reaching the carriage seat and preparing the chocobos to move, quietly reflected about the two men under the charge of the dark knight. They were both skilled fighters, this was undeniable, but where Ramza held a professional aura, Rad seemed to roll with chaos. It was as if they were akin to different sides to a coin; Ramza, who was covered in blood, contrary to Agrias's words, did not look frightening, but looked… sad. Regretful. Rad, drenched in blood and grinning menacingly, was the frightful one, and Alicia did not want to be near the monster. How could Ramza, so different from his two companions, stand to travel with them? When she had first met the squire, he was docile, showing no emotion. Now, however, his carefully built barrier was cracking, and she could see the distaste in his eyes when he looked at his allies.

Her friends were done searching the bodies and piling them together; each thief and one of the wizards had a hefty pouch of gil tied to their belts, plus some basic equipment lifted from the bodies, netting an admirable reward for the fight. Alicia drove the wagon forward to pick up her friends, Lavian and Belle entering the carriage and Agrias climbing up top with her. The knight saw that Gafgarion was having words with Ramza with Rad watching on with glee. The two treated him like a slave, not a partner; Alicia chewed a nail, an unfortunate habit she had acquired as a girl when she was in a pondering mood. It was a long trip to Bethla Garrison, having to pass through the Araguay woods and Zirekile falls; Alicia was not usually one to take initiative, but, eyes sparkling with mischief, she firmly planted a fist in her palm, causing Agrias, who was no guest in her inner mind, to arch an eyebrow in confusion. Alicia decided she would corner the man and ask him.

Ramza, who was again at the rear of the carriage suddenly, and loudly, sneezed. It was with his confused look, as there was nothing nearby to cause him to sneeze, that the group exited Dorter's eastern gate.


	10. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 9

**Author Notes:** Well, as I always say, better late then never, although there technically is no "due date" for submitting my story. Admittedly, this chapter did not cover a lot game-wise, but I think there was enough character interaction and development to compensate for the absence of original plot. Some might notice that, as the party travels from destination to destination, a set number of days do not pass as it would be in the game (where, regardless on where you travel, only a day passes). Never made sense that one could trot through the world in a matter of days, so I'm hoping that the travel time between places, taking more then a day, will make the story more realistic.

That's all there really is too it; the few reviews I did get (which I do appreciate) gave praise and no criticism. While I highly enjoy praise (who doesn't?) I am fine with people pointing out flaws in the story or writing. So, as always, review!

* * *

A weary group of travelers seemed to drag themselves out of the eastern fringes of Araguay woods; it had been a long three days. Throughout their entire trek through the forest, they had spotted signs of the mysterious knight who had kidnapped Princess Olivia, hinting that they were closing in on the knight, who, even though he knew he was being followed, didn't seem to be in much of a hurry, according to Gafgarion, a skilled tracker. With Zirekile falls, one of the few passable locations on the Zirekile River, hours away, Agrias called a halt, to rest her, and her troops', weary feet and called for lunch, as it was about an hour after noon.

A keenly observant man could see that everyone, even the haughty Gafgarion, was tired and weary; even a casually observant man could see that the troop needed rest, an hour or more preferably, if taskmaster Agrias agreed to it. But any idiot could see that there was something blatantly wrong with the group.

"I can't believe they burnt the bloody wagon!" Belle cursed, after tripping one too many times over the extra pack she was carrying. Alicia, nearby, giggled at her mentor's whine; she couldn't help it. The young chemist was so tired that everything seemed funny to her; after all, since they did lose the wagon, there was little time for rest.

Agrias sighed morosely; she was dreading to tell the Princess that she was responsible for destroying all of Olivia's luggage. Lavian, who saw the painful look on Agrias's face, huffed, and told her once again, "For the last time, Agrias, it's not your fault! Who'd have guessed that those damned goblins would attack and burn the carriage?"

Ramza, who was nearby, gently put down his volunteered share of the Princess's valuables, silently agreed with the knight; no one expected the goblins to retaliate. The squire stretched out a kink in his back as he surveyed the area; Gafgarion and Rad were a dozen paces apart from the rest, sitting on the ground, munching on some rations to gain back their strength. The long days had even affected the stubborn dark knight, who never showed any kind of weakness; even so, the two were better off then the rest, as they had refused to help carry some of the essential gear from the ruined carriage. The blunt refusal caused even more of a rift to grow between Gafgarion and Agrias; they hadn't said a word to each other all day. Even though the enmity wasn't uncommon, Ramza couldn't help but feel particularly uncomfortable by it; he felt something foreboding on the wind.

The knot out of his back, Ramza took a seat on the ground himself; he was closer to the women then his employer, only a few feet away, but not quite included with them, even though he felt a little foolish. Munching on some jerky, his eyes turned from the land to the girls, silently watching them; Alicia and Lavian were trying to comfort the mildly distraught Agrias, who had a small pout on her face. Ramza cracked a small smile; Agrias looked cute when she pouted. The two knights had finally convinced Agrias to sit and the pout fled the holy knight's face as all four women dug through their packs to take out lunch. Little was said as everyone ate, mostly due to the cloud of fatigue that hung over the group.

Gafgarion and Rad finished first, but instead of standing and rushing the group to move out, they both leaned back and shut their eyes, with the dark knight calling, "One hour. No less."

Agrias, a flash of anger at the man's attitude, did have to begrudgingly agree to the rest; she was dead tired, and her friends were more so. She nodded to the women, saying "As the jackass said, an hour of rest. Try to get some sleep. I'll take watch." The women blinked at the holy knight's crude language, but Agrias was too tired to care. Lavian finally nodded, and lay down, using her pack as a pillow, and got as comfortable as she could on the hard ground. She knew that whenever she could get rest, she should take the rest; within a few moments her breathing calmed and she started to doze. Belle and Alicia followed suit; with all her friends lying down, Agrias stood with a groan. The holy knight would have loved to take a nap as well, but someone needed to keep an eye on things.

Agrias stretched, trying to clear her foggy mind, and headed to the one good thing that came out of the tiring trek through Araguay woods; the golden yellow chocobo, named Boco, clucked warmly as the holy knight approached, reaching out to pet his soft down. Agrias chuckled; he was a brave bird, and fierce in battle, but one could say that he was the starting point of the trouble that had plagued her. The holy knight sighed, absently scratching at Boco's neck, thinking back; the first day into the woods was as trouble-free as she had hoped. The group made good time, taking turns to rest within, or on top of, in the case of the men, the carriage; by doing so Agrias set a very steady pace, and the first night they only stopped moving for a few hours, to give the brown chocobos a rest. It was mid-day the second day that things started to unwind.

--

Alicia heard it first, the sound of squawking and crude grunting, coming from within a grove of trees off the path. The knight turned chemist warned everyone of the commotion, and wanted to go see the cause; Gafgarion bluntly brushed the noise off and advised they continue forward, while Agrias hesitated, torn by her own curiosity and the need to rescue the Princess. Ramza became Alicia's ally by pointing out that whatever was the cause of the racket could come to attack them from behind if left unchecked. The squire's comment was good enough for the holy knight; Agrias ordered the group to check it out, while leaving Lavian to guard the carriage, as it could not fit between the trees.

Entering the grove, the group stumbled upon a cruel sight; a dozen goblins were attacking, almost torturing, a yellow chocobo. The bird was grossly outnumbered and backed into a tree, the goblins having surrounded the creature, taking turns to throw sticks and stones at it, or to leap close, clawing at the chocobo's flesh, prolonging its suffering. All but Gafgarion and Rad reacted in some way, from Alicia's eyes tearing up and gasping to Ramza's sad frown. Agrias broke the silence with a question, "What's a chocobo doing in this forest?"

"Don't know, don't care," Gafgarion's cold reply caused everyone to stare at him. The dark knight just shrugged at the dirty looks, "What? It must be pretty stupid to wander into the goblin's territory. Survival of the fittest and all that; let's leave it and move on."

"We can't do that!" Belle exclaimed, glaring at the dark knight, "The poor creature needs help!"

"Why bother? No money in that." Rad spoke, grinning at the chemist's shocked look, while Gafgarion smiled with pride, agreeing with the young man.

Ramza, looking down to the panicking creature, voiced his opinion, "I heard that wild chocobo's are stronger, faster, and smarter then tamed ones. I think I'll find out." With this he drew his sword, watching the people around him. Alicia and Belle, after beaming a smile at the man, drew their daggers and awaited Agrias's word. While the holy knight did not give an enthusiastic smile, or any smile, her eyes grew a fraction warmer as she looked at the squire; throughout her travels with him, she had come to respect the squire, slightly, but there was still respect, and he just added a little more.

"Agreed, let us aid the bird. Perhaps it will aid us saving the Princess." Agrias drew her sword and readied her shield, looking at the dark knight.

Gafgarion ignored the woman, staring at Ramza, looking as if he had a sour taste in his mouth, "I'm guessing you insist?" Ramza nodded; the dark knight spat on the ground, "Fine. Let's get this over with."

The fight did not last long; even though the goblins outnumbered the humans two to one, the monsters were ill equipped and lacked comradeship. The creatures bore no weapons, using their claws and fists to attack with; they wore no armor, clad only in leathery rags that hung off their bodies. When the well armed and armored group crashed into the goblin rank, the creatures were thrown into confusion. They did not try to aid their own, like Alicia did when she protected Agrias's back from an attack, and they did not care for their own, as Belle did when she treated Ramza with an eye drop, an item that skilled chemists can apply to heal impaired vision, after a goblin gouged at the squire's eyes. The chocobo, bolstered by the arrival of the humans and the confusion of the goblins, attacked viciously with its beak, bludgeoning a goblin's face, causing the monster to fall; the chocobo leapt upon the creature, seeking revenge for the pain that had been inflicted, slowly crushing and pecking the goblin to death.

Within a few minutes only a handful of the goblins remained alive; goblins fought confidently when they outnumbered their prey, but like true cowards and bullies, they fled when the tides turned. Leaving the dying and dead, the four remaining goblins fled into the woods; Gafgarion and Rad, not ones to give quarter, followed, with the intent to hunt each one down. Agrias ignored the two; she was happy they were not longer in her presence. She looked over her friends, and Ramza, to inspect the damage; there were no major injuries, only a few bruises from the goblin's punches. Ramza took the brunt of the damage, having rushed in ahead of everyone else, yelling like a madman, but even his wounds weren't serious; after a good night's sleep, combined with the most basic of white magic spells, cure, the squire would be in top shape.

The excitement of the battle gone, with only the faint sounds of the two mercenaries crashing about the woods, the group watched to see what the chocobo would do; the creature itself, after kicking away the body of the goblin it had killed, was watching the humans with hesitance and suspicion. Ramza was correct, the bird was intelligent; while not actually able to understand the words that the humans spoke, it could interpret the tone of the human's voice and their body language. The chocobo knew that the travelers had no ill intent, but did not fully trust them.

Alicia broke the silence, asking, "Um, it's hurt. Should we heal it?" The newly trained chemist desperately wanted to pat the bird, having always been enamored by the majestic creatures. Even though she had always worked around brown chocobos, the yellows always seemed more inspiring then the docile working birds. This was probably more from the fairy tales she was told as a young child of knights in white armor, riding golden yellow chocobos to rescue young maidens from certain doom; never mind the fact that yellow chocobos were fighting birds, while the brown were nothing but work animals. She shifted with impatience, taking a step forward and starting to reach out a hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ramza softly called, catching Alicia's arm and pulling it back as the chocobo focused an eye on her, watching the girl with caution. "He doesn't fully trust us yet."

Alicia frowned, unconsciously touching her arm where Ramza had held her, "He?"

The squire nodded, "There are a few ways you can tell. Like the shape of the beak, females are longer and sharper, and the thickness of his feather mane." Ramza pointed out a few more details while Alicia and Belle listened with curiosity. Agrias was also staring at the squire, but her curiosity was on the man, not the bird; again, the supposedly simple squire was showing advanced learning and knowledge usually reserved to those of noble or wealthy blood. The holy knight mused, pondering again the man's past, when his voice cut though her thoughts, "As to your earlier question, Alicia, he can heal himself, if he's comfortable enough around us to use his innate magic." The squire reached into a pouch and pulled out leafy green vegetable, looking almost like a short, stubby, yellowish carrot, and handed it to Alicia, saying, "Offer him this. Chocobo's love gysahl greens."

Alicia took the offered vegetable and, holding it out, approached the bird; the chocobo kept its head turned, one eye on the approaching human. The young woman stopped a few feet from the animal, offering the greens. The bird sniffed the treat, and with a soft cluck, gobbled down the vegetable. The chocobo, a content look on his face, gave a soft, almost purr-like, sound; Alicia turned her head to Ramza, and beamed when he gave the thumbs up. She reached out and stroked the chocobo's neck, at first hesitantly, but when the bird leaned into her touch and gave a "wark!" of approval, her hesitance dissipated as she scratched the bird with vigor. She giggled, "I think he likes me!"

The three other warriors joined Alicia around the chocobo, Belle joining her pupil in petting the creature; the bird clucked again, half-closing his eyes with content. Agrias and Ramza shared a small smile as the two women got some joy out of such a simple act; their gaze broke as Alicia asked, "Can we keep him?"

Agrias just shrugged; chocobos are quite self-reliant, being more of allies then pets, and he could take care of himself for the most part. "I see no harm; if he wants to join us, he's welcome too." The chocobo, who understood Agrias, strode forward, giving the holy knight a soft head-butt, and chirped excitedly. Agrias laughed, "I guess that's a yes. What should we name him?"

Alicia and Belle started to call off names, some silly, some strange, but for each one suggested, the chocobo shook his head, not liking the names. Agrias even called out a few names, but after a few minutes the three women ran out of ideas, and pondered what name to suggest next; Ramza, who had been watching the chocobo appraisingly the whole time, suddenly called out, "Boco?"

The bird, who itself was looking bored at the prolonged name calling, blinked a few times at the man's suggestion, turned its head as if testing the name, and finally gave a nod of approval, accompanied by a, "Wark!"

The three women chuckled, Agrias saying, "Well that settles it; Boco it is!" She scratched the bird's head, saying, "Now that we have a new ally, let us get back to the carriage and be off."

--

Agrias was shaken out of her reverie by her new ally, Boco, when he gave her a head butt; Agrias's attention had drifted from scratching the bird's neck, and he demanded the pleasant tickle back. Agrias chuckled, asking the bird, "It's never that easy, is it?" Boco shrugged; he didn't know or care, frankly. He was just happy to be out of that goblin-infested wood.

"My mother always said, 'All things are difficult before they are easy'," Ramza said, standing unnoticed next to Agrias till he spoke. Grinning at the holy knight's startled face, he continued, "Of course, she'd say that right before my chores, and I came to find that they never got easier."

Agrias smiled at the squire's words; her father had given her similar advice. She stretched, yawned, and sat upon the ground, telling the squire, "This feels familiar, doesn't it?"

Ramza grinned, "Yes, though this time we're not huddled in a cave, fighting off goblins."

The holy knight gave another yawn, "At least this time it's bright out, and we don't have to peer into shadowy trees."

"Seeing what wants to kill you coming takes all the fun out of this whole 'guarding' thing, though," Ramza whined playfully.

Agrias snorted, "Then close your eyes. That should make the day more 'exciting' for you." Agrias chuckled with Ramza; it was a tired laugh, the kind you get when anything can be funny due to lack of sleep, "Speaking of sleep-"

"We were?"

"-why don't you get some?" Agrias finished.

Ramza waved his hand, "Naw, I feel fine." He chortled at the holy knight's raised eyebrow of doubt, "Really, I do." The smile on his face softened as he looked down at the obviously fatigued Agrias, "You, however, look like you're about to tip over. Why don't you catch a short nap? I'll keep guard."

Agrias, who yearned for some shut-eye, shook her head, trying to wake up, to decline the squire's offer. She did not get the chance, as Ramza, removing his cloak, bundling it up into a ball, and tossing it to the ground near the holy knight, said, "I insist." Ignoring Agrias's objections, the squire gently guided the holy knight so she would lay down, her head landing softly onto Ramza's cloak. The woman scowled at Ramza, but did not try to sit back up, as she was already starting to fall asleep. Shifting around to get more comfortable, she muttered some minor insults up at the grinning squire, who grinned, "Oh my, such language. Who'd have known you'd get so grouchy when you're tired?" His grin again softened, and he crouched down next to Agrias, "Get some rest. I'll watch over everyone, and I have Boco here to help." Ramza saw Agrias frown slightly, and in a joking voice he told her, "I won't run off. You can trust me."

Surprisingly the frown fled from the holy knight's face, and she gave a small, content smile, whispering as she fell asleep, "I do…"

Ramza stared at the sleeping woman, mind going slightly numb; he shuffled away from Agrias in haste, a faint look of fear on his face. His retreat was blocked by a large boulder, and he ended up a dozen paces away from the slumbering beauty. He couldn't believe it, he wouldn't; Ramza rested his head in his hands, ignoring Boco, who followed the squire's retreat, wanting some more petting. It had been a long time since someone had trusted him, even jokingly so; he could only assume it was a joke. She hardly knew him, didn't know him. He didn't deserve anyone's trust. Not anymore. He glanced up to Boco, who himself was looking annoyed at the squire for the lack of attention; Ramza absently scratched the bird's neck, telling him, "That was stupid of me. I should know better than that. It must be all of the excitement from the last few days catching up with me, muddling my brain." The squire sighed heavily, and gave himself one last moment of grief, before he shoved his memories and emotions away. He'll forget he said that, and forget her response. It was easier that way. Straightening his slumped back, he forced a grin, and continued to talk to the bird, "All but you and me, buddy, are dead tired. Even Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass Gafgarion is. The attack on the carriage probably didn't help."

--

The attack came at night, minutes after the sun had left the sky; no one, not Ramza, Agrias, or Gafgarion, the three most experienced warriors, expected it. Who would? It was unheard of for goblins to retaliate in such a way. Thankfully, no one was asleep, and no one had removed their armor for the night. Lavian had just started the fire, preparing a basic stew for the night, when the goblins struck. In a blink of an eye, scores of torches lit up in the surrounded woodland, the hollers and yells of goblins ripped through the night air. Dozens of the violent little creatures poured out from the gaps in the trees, running straight towards the startled humans; although unprepared, the travelers did not immediately panic, and gathered around Agrias, who called a rally. There was no wait this time, no moments of preparation as the goblins crashed into the steel clad wall of humans. A half dozen died instantly, either by the waiting human's weapons, or the crushing weight of the goblins behind them. Fighting erupted within the clearing, the humans forming a half circle, Boco in the center, trying desperately to fight off waves of the monsters.

All could tell that if they stayed where they were, they would be overwhelmed, despite their better gear and training. Agrias did a quick head count to make sure all were around her; only the carriage, with the brown chocobos still strapped into their harness, Alicia unable to release them before the goblin attack, were cut off from the group. The holy knight, not wanting to lose the carriage, wanted to call a charge to regroup with it; Ramza could see the look of determination on her face, but knew it would be suicide. Already three score of goblins had swarmed the area, some tossing their burning torches at the carriage, some at the humans. The squire called out, "Don't Agrias! It's not worth your life! We need to get out of here!"

The holy knight hesitated, cutting down yet another goblin, looked to her friends around her; Lavian and Alicia stood side to side, the younger still armed as a chemist, and fought not only the goblins, but panic and fear. Agrias could see it in their eyes. Both had multiple wounds in just the few minutes of fighting; Belle, fighting between Boco and Ramza, was slightly better off due to two factors. One, Boco was using his innate magic to cure anyone around him; Belle and Agrias, both flanking the bird, were feeling the soothing effects. Two, Ramza was recklessly taking hits for the chemist, throwing himself into attacks with a kind of madness gleaming in his eyes. Due to his protection, Belle took little damage, getting hit only by the occasional stone or torch. Ramza himself was heavily wounded, but stubbornly fighting on; his allies were also having difficulties, Rad having taken some major hits and Gafgarion unable to heal what he had taken via his Night Sword technique.

Although it pained her to leave the poor brown chocobos to their fate, and to leave the Princesses carriage to destruction, Agrias agreed, and called for a retreat. The holy knight's steady voice calmed the fear in her warrior's hearts, and the bloody and battered group retreated in a calm, but quick, manner. Surprisingly, only a few goblins followed the retreating travelers, most of the creatures hung back in the clearing, gleefully torching the carriage and attacking the poor brown chocobos. Once the last following goblin was felled, struck down by Lavian's blade, Agrias called for a full run; as the sight of the burning carriage faded, the holy knight heard a loud death cry from one of the birds. She prayed for forgiveness; the act of abandoning those creatures, while it probably saved her troops, was nothing to be proud of, and she mourned the loss of the reliable chocobos.

They ran for long, long minutes, over a half hour, and only had to stop due to exhaustion. They gathered around, only the noise of heavy panting made, as all tried to gather their breath. Agrias, watching the direction they had run from, wearily checked for sounds of pursuit; after a few minutes, as everyone had calmed their breathing, the holy knight deduced that the goblins had not chased them. Yet. She scouted the area; there were no good defensive positions. They'd have to move, and find one. Giving the order, which no one, not even Gafgarion, objected to, the weary troop moved out, trying to find a place to hole up for the night.

After a tiring hour of searching, the travelers found an ideal camping site; the cave they found was deep enough for all, including the large chocobo, to sleep in, and the entrance was narrow enough for two to defend it. Their home for the evening chosen, Agrias called everyone over, even Gafgarion and Rad, to cast Cura on the group, to help the healing process. A minute later, everyone was completely restored to top physical health, although they were all still exhausted. As everyone else made the cave as cozy as it could get, Agrias mentally planned what to do next; obviously shifts would have to be taken tonight, two warriors at a time, and in the morning, they'd go back to the remains of the carriage to salvage anything they could.

Mind made, she called out, "As much as we'd all love a full night's sleep, we don't have that luxury tonight." She grit her teeth, not liking her first choice, "Gafgarion and Rad, you take first watch," the dark knight's eyebrow rose in surprise, but nodded, elbowing Rad when he didn't immediately. A verbal truce was not necessary, and Gafgarion knew that they would put aside any kind of arguments for the night; survival was more important than pissing off some bitches. Agrias nodded back, continuing, "Lavian and Bell, you're second," the two nodded, "and for last shift, it'll be me and-"

"Me," Ramza finished for her. The holy knight looked at the squire, and both glanced over at Alicia, who was probably going to be Agrias's choice to guard with; the poor girl was the most exhausted of the group, her inexperience starting to show. Agrias nodded to Ramza, telling everyone to get some rest. Gafgarion and Rad took their swords and moved to the entrance of the cave, sitting down, and talking quietly to pass the time; the rest lay down, got as comfortable as they could, and fell into a drained sleep.

It seemed to Agrias that she had just closed her eyes when Lavian was shaking her awake, telling her, "It's your turn. Nothing much happened on either shift, though Belle and I thought we saw some faint movement in the woods. Could be nothing." Agrias nodded, gave a small stretch and yawn, grabbed her sword, and headed to the mouth of the cave, watching as Belle gently woke Ramza and exchanged pleasantries. The chemist was leaning close to the squire, and chuckled at some quirk he muttered, gently laying a hand on his arm; for some reason, this annoyed Agrias. The chemist was friendly with the man. Perhaps too friendly? Agrias shook her head; this was neither the time nor place to ponder these things. She waited a moment for Ramza to join her, who gave her a bright smile; she found the squire's smile contagious, and soon had a small one on her own face. Both sat outside the cave, saying nothing as the morning slowly started.

After a while of silence, Ramza spoke, "We're going to check what's left of the carriage later, right?"

Agrias blinked; Ramza was not one to usually start conversations, if the attitude of the past few days was any hint. Alicia had been dogging the poor man constantly, asking numerous questions; it was quite amusing to the holy knight, watching Ramza get all flustered at Alicia and hearing what excused he used to dodge the inquiring chemist. Even though she did not voice it, Agrias wanted the answers to the same questions her friend were grilling into the mysterious man; still, Ramza had kept the door to his past securely shut, giving only vague responses to the young woman. The holy knight grinned; still, his defense was slowly weakening as he was running out of excuses to Alicia's questions. Realizing she had been staring at the man and grinning, who was smirking back, a laugh in his eye, she finally answered him, "Um, yes. We'll go back to salvage what we can."

The squire nodded, "I'm still finding it hard to believe that the goblins attacked like that."

"I know," Agrias frowned, pouting her lips as she thought, "I've never heard of goblins to retaliate like that. They don't have the attention span long enough to plan any kind of revenge."

The squire remained silent, staring into the woods, "Yea… it seems like all the monsters in the land are getting more… active?" He turned to look at Agrias, "It's like they feel something stirring in the air." Ramza thought a moment, "Bad omen."

"Bad omen?" Agrias arched an eyebrow. "I never thought you'd be a superstitious one."

Ramza frowned, "I always get that." He ignored Agrias's questioning look. "It's not superstition. I just feel it, like gut instinct."

Agrias shrugged, "Let's hope it's wrong then. It is constantly wrong, right?"

Ramza smiled, but said nothing. No, his instinct was usually right on, but he did not tell her. Instead he said, "I'm sure that whatever mischief they started is over now." Agrias nodded, and the two settled into a comfortable silence, neither wanting to, nor feeling the need to, break the silence.

The morning finally rose; the night was uneventful for the group. After gathering their bedding, the humans, plus a chocobo, walked back to where the carriage had been. Arriving on the scene, Agrias groaned with frustration, while Alicia and Belle gasped; a burnt husk of the wagon remained, luggage, some burnt, some not, strewn about the clearing. Lavian walked to the front of the wreck, calling out that the chocobos were slain. After gathering what supplies and gear they could, and after a heated debate between Gafgarion and Agrias, the former refusing to carry a share of the supplies, the travelers were on the move again.

--

"Man, we did not expect those goblins to follow us the entire day, did we?" Ramza asked Boco, who just tilted his head in reply, as if saying, 'Don't care, more attention.' Ramza laughed, and scratched his neck with vigor, getting a happy cluck from the bird, "Gave us no rest, always minutes behind us, driving us out of their woods. Thank goodness we're out here, huh?"

There was no answer from the bird, and both remained silent; after about an hour of rest, Ramza himself taking a few catnaps, always with an eye open, the squire started the process of waking everyone up. Only Rad gave the squire difficulty, grumbling and cursing Ramza, demanding more rest time. Gafgarion overruled his protégé, and the travelers were off again.

After an hour of marching, the roar of the falls and river could be clearly heard, the river seen, and the path that led up to the crossing, a sturdy, though old, bridge, started. Agrias, suddenly happy that they did not have the carriage, as she knew of almost no way it would be able to cross the Zirekile River, heard a sharp scream rip through the air, cutting its way through the sound of rushing water. A feminine scream. "Princess Olivia!" the holy knight turned, searching out, of all people, Ramza's eyes, saying, "She must be in trouble! Hurry!" She waited only a moment for the squire's nod, and, drawing her sword, sprang forward, her friends right behind her.


	11. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 10

**Author Notes:** I have a few important points to cover this time around; as much as you are tempted to skip over this blurb, I ask that you don't. First, I have a story to tell you; many chapters ago I made a foolish statement claiming that I would be updating this story one a month. Things have not gone according to plan, however; recently my wonderful editor has gotten a dreaded "life", with a "job" and "responsibilities". I know, how could she? So what used to take a few days to edit now takes a few weeks. Do not fear - I am going to continue this story until the end, but I can no longer have any claims of when a new chapter will be released. I do hope to get one out monthlyish, but I can not guarantee this. I know the pains of waiting for the next installment of a story, if any of you actually have those pains, so I'll try to keep current.

Now that that is out of the way, Secondly, as Zidane Lightning Saix so astutely pointed out, I have been spelling the Princess incorrectly; sadly, I am way too lazy to go and edit all my previous chapters, and it would just be wrong to start spelling her name correctly now, so "Olevia" is now, permanently for my tale, "Olivia". I'm sure it won't make any kind of impact. Now, when it comes to character's classes I let the story drive their choices; is it wise, within the game, to have two chemists in the party? Not necessarily, but Alicia wants to become a wizard, and in order to do that she must have training in a chemist. As I have gone in to, in my opinion, great pains to make each character their own, I'm not going to allow Ramza or Agrias to make the decisions on what each person should be - If Lavian wants to become a time mage, then that's what she'll be, after she gets the training in the class requirements. Lastly, to refresh memories, I am going with the original FF Tactics plot, but using WotL terminology (etc "Blizzaga" instead of "Ice 3"), so the unique characters in WotL will not be introduced; honestly, don't expect any character to show up. I'm not sure if I'm going to include the "side quest" characters or not.

Lastly, this chapter, as you can probably see, is longer then the previous, mostly because this is, really, the start of the story, where it starts to become Ramza's story. A warning, however; I use an emotion I am hardly used to, and, honestly, am hesitant to actually portray: angst. Bleck, I feel dirty just typing it. I, personally, am very unfamiliar with this characterization, so I am nervous about this chapter. I do hope I give it justice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Zirekile River was known for its raw power; fed by the snow and rain from Mount Algost, one of the most weather beaten and tallest peaks in Ivalice, the river was too wild for water transport. Almost its entire length was riddled with rapids, creating a near impossible border to cross; there were only a handful of passable fords. The most used one was at the edge of the Algost Mountains and was commonly referred to as the Bethla Ford, as the ford was close to Bethla Garrison. The Zirekile Falls were closer to the mouth of the river, where the Algost Highlands, rather suddenly, end; this odd geographical phenomenon is what created the falls. During the dry season a very small ford is available to cross at the falls; an intuitive man in long days past decided to use this short time to build a bridge, a simple one made of rope and wood, at the face of the falls. Every year since the bridge was built, and during the short dry season, a small group of men, sent by Lesalia nobles, are sent to give the old bridge some regular maintenance.

The party had decided to cross the river at the falls for two reasons; first, the falls were tax free to cross. Even though nobles funded its repair they levied no tax as a ploy to keep the commoners happy, unlike the Bethla Ford, which the commander at Bethla Garrison taxed, rather heavily. Also, the kidnapper's trail headed to the Zirekile Falls, probably for the same reason. While the taxed ford had many eyes watching it, anyone crossing at the falls could do so unseen. This is what led the group to the falls; it took them only minutes to run up the path to the edge of the bridge. They had left Boco behind, with the remains of the Princess's luggage, not having time to bring the goods with them. What they saw caused them all to stop short.

Standing at the center of the bridge was the Princess, looking terrified, but her fear was not directed at the knight who stood next to her; the knight, now clearly seen, was dressed in a golden plate armor, the crest of a Holy Knight, one loyal to the Nanten, weaved on his tabard. He had his sword out and bloodied, but it was not directed against the Princess; in fact, he had his other arm out, protecting Olivia, while facing the body of a knight dressed in the garb of a Hokuten. The knight, slain only moments before, slumped off the bridge, splashing into the river below. On both sides of the bridge stood more knights, three on each; one on the far end called out, "It's over! You have no choice but to surrender! Lay down your sword, hand over the Princess, and we'll let you live!"

The holy knight bristled with anger, and spat back out to the man, "That's a bold faced lie! You want to kill her! Then you'll kill me for knowing the truth!"

Another knight, standing next to the one that had spoken, called out, "That's preposterous!" He turned his gaze to the Princess. "We come only to help you, Princess! Trust us! We're here to protect you! Don't listen to the lies this Nanten dog has fed you!"

Olivia shifted, hesitating, not sure whose words to trust; the holy knight, who, upon the first day of capture, named Delita, had told her some rather unbelievable stores. Something about how Prince Larg, who was an uncle to the girl, wanted her dead! She didn't want to believe Delita; Larg had always shown her a small kindness. Nevertheless, his words continued to buzz around in her ears, and her gaze moved up to Delita as they, yet again, repeated in her mind. Even though she shouldn't trust him, she felt compelled to. After all, he had treated her with the utmost respect during their travels thus far, protecting her from monsters, talking to her as a person, not a captive, and giving her proper respect for one of royalty.

She shifted, still stalling; she didn't want to give a reply. She knew as soon as she did, fighting would break out, and if she called out to the Hokuten, Delita would be killed. Even though he was her captor, she didn't want that; for some reason, she was drawn to him, as a moth is drawn to flame. This fierce attraction frightened and excited her. Hearing a knight call out to her, she forced her thoughts back to the present, looking around desperately for an answer to her predicament. How she wished Agrias was here. As she glanced around the scenery, her gaze caught movement; gasping, she broke free from Delita's grasp, clutched the rope bridge, and called out with a mixture of desperation and glee, "Agrias!"

The party had been almost paralyzed with surprise since the start of the verbal fire between the knights. The sudden turn of events, and the lack of knowledge about what exactly was going on, confused most of the party; not everyone was dumb-struck, however. Gafgarion had been slowly inching his way forward, in a way that the group, which was staring at the spectacle on the bridge, would not notice him. By the time the Hokuten knight's attention was turned to the rescue party, the dark knight was closer to the knights than to his allies. The dark knight's face was blank, looking almost bored with the whole situation, and was not even looking at Ramza, who stared at him with a questioning gaze.

Agrias, who was going to reply to the Princess, felt her voice die as she noticed where Gafgarion was standing; while he wasn't supporting the Hokuten, per say, his positioning made it perfectly clear that he was no longer in her group. Feeling a faint dread, she readied her sword.

A nearby knight, highest ranking of the group by the design and color of his cloak, spat, turned his head to Gafgarion and said, "Great. Now we have a crowd. Gafgarion! Kill them; all of them. The pay will be doubled." The knight pointed to the women.

The dark knight, a wicked grin spreading across his face turned to face the group, sneering, "Didn't expect it like this, but it's all in the contract!" As he spoke, he took a few more steps backward, now standing only a few feet away from the knight captain.

Agrias swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly going dry; she was royal guard! For the Hokuten! She outranked these men, and they owed her, and the Princess, their loyalty! This was happening too fast; she wasn't prepared for this. She needed to stall. Wetting her mouth, she called out, keeping her voice steady, "Gafgarion, you're betraying us?"

The man gave a cruel laugh; he spat at the holy knight, "Betrayal? C'mon, this is business. The job was to kidnap the princess 'unharmed'; sadly, she was to perish tragically during the attempt." Gafgarion grimaced, shifting slightly, "Too bad the snatch didn't go as planned, otherwise you bitches would have been spared; now it looks like I'll have to keep you quiet."

Agrias's head swam; the Princess's own men were to kidnap her? That means either there is a Nanten loyalist high up on the chain of commands, or this plan came from… the holy knight shook her head, trying to clear it, calling back, "So what are you getting at? The kidnapping was a sham? To what end?"

"Fool! Your pretty little princess is in the way! The Prince should be next in line! If she stays alive there will be nothing but trouble! That's why she dies today… along with all of you! We can't go and have any of you blabbing about what you saw here today." The dark knight's face turned suddenly ugly, and frightening. He drew his sword and pointed it at Agrias, and in a low and menacing voice he growled out, "Your death won't be quick like your little whores; I'm going to take my fucking time with you, slut."

Normally unshakable, Agrias was affected by the dark knight's words. She took an involuntary step back, shakily drawing her sword. From the corner of her eyes she saw her troops do the same, all three of them white faced by the Gafgarion's threat. Her gaze turned to Ramza, to see if he was part of this betrayal; her mind told her he most likely was. It made sense, after all; the squire was Gafgarion's ally, and so must be part of this treachery. Even as her mind labeled him a foe, her heart cried out otherwise; Gafgarion's betrayal, while unexpected, was not surprising. For some reason, the thought of Ramza betraying her gave her intense pain in her chest. Her eyes finally settling on Ramza, and she saw, with a leap in her heart, that he was as stunned at the turn of events as everyone; his mouth was slightly open, a look of confusion on his face.

Delita, taking advantage of the moment of silence, and stillness, reached forward to pull Olivia behind him again, calling down to Ramza and Agrias, "Since you all are destined to die, I guess it won't hurt to let you aid me." His voice was dry and tired; he turned his head so he could see them in the corner of his eye, and seemed to talk to the air around him, "If the Princess's kidnapping is Goltana's doing, he would lose any support for the throne, leaving the Hakuten reign over the kingdom. I'm sure that's how Prince Larg planned the scenario." He turned his attention back to the three knights on the far side of the river, and said, softly, "No… Dycedarg probably concocted it. Wouldn't you agree?"

The words were all but whispered in the wind, but Ramza's ears caught them, causing him to stagger. Too many emotions and memories were conflicting in his mind. _This is why I got out of the bullshit when I had the chance! Too many betrayals, too many lies woven into half-truths; it's too much!_ He wanted desperately to be away from this place, this drama; to go back to knowing nothing and doing nothing.

Gafgarion's gaze caught the squire's hesitation, and he smirked; he was one of the few, very few, who knew who this 'Ramza Lugria' really was. Gafgarion was told his past accomplishments and errors, and knew the squire's fears, fears that he would fully exploit to finally break the man. That was Gafgarion's true reward, as told by his true employer; the dark knight cared little of political intrigue. The only thing he cared about was power, and Ramza, despite his objections to the opposite, was very powerful. The young warrior's emotions and morals often hampered his fighting capabilities, but Gafgarion would crush those useless emotions. The breaking had started from day one, and all had gone well, until the thrice-cursed holy knight and her princess showed up. Since in those bitch's presence the dark knights long efforts were starting to be undone! He would have to end this with one quick and sudden move. By day's end, Ramza would be naught but Gafgarion's puppet.

"Kill them, Ramza!" the dark knight barked, watching as the man jerked his head upward, starting with wide eyes, "You don't want to be part of this shit anymore, do you? If you partake in their plans they'll expect more and more from you, leading men, rallying troops, having to make life and death decisions of men that are your responsibility… who needs that kind of crap?" Gafgarion watched as Ramza's eyes flickered back and forth as he drank in the dark knight's poisonous words. The squire was going to break, Gafgarion could feel it; all he needed was one more push, "Do as I say, Ramza, and none of those worries or responsibilities will be set upon your shoulder. You're an excellent soldier; now follow your commander's orders!"

Ramza's head hurt. It was starting to feel as if it was swollen, too big for his skull. Flashes of the past ripped into his vision, roared through his head. He saw fire, steel, and death.

The pain and the fear started to overwhelm the man; his past mistakes and the consequences of them were a deep terror that lurked within the man. His rational side knew men made mistakes, and knew that he was human, thus prone to making mistakes. Before that fateful day, though, his mistakes only cost money or time; that mistake, his foolish misjudgment and inaction, had cost lives. His friends had died due to his folly! Driven by this primal fear, Ramza's mind retreated into darkness and doubt; he blocked out everything around him, and was alone in his self-made, dark prison. The dark knight's words ran through his head, and with a cold dread, Ramza knew Gafgarion was right. If he did as was told, as was ordered, none of the responsibility would be his to bear! He would only have to care and worry about himself; why should he suffer for others? He'd done nothing but sacrifice for them, and was rewarded with a stab in the back! Nothing good came from it; all he could do was follow and stay alive. That's all that mattered in this world.

_Hiding from your sins won't fix the mistakes! Stop running from your responsibility! Others need you now! Redeem yourself! Face your fears!_

It was that pestering spark of light, again. Perhaps it could be called his conscience, or his soul, or his honor. Whatever called, it was the good in him, part of the man that had burned brightly years ago, smothered by failure, mistakes, and doubt; now it was small and weak, but had grown recently, more powerful then it had been in many long months. Now, as Ramza's mind reached the brink of darkness, it rose up and fought for survival.

It was not powerful enough.

Long moments passed as Ramza waged war, one final time, within his head and soul; his conflict did not go unnoticed. His traveling companions watched him, waiting for the conclusion with held breaths. Agrias knew that if Ramza broke, she, the princess, and her friends would be dead by day's end; there was no way for them to survive this assault. Already outnumbered, these were no goblins they faced, but heavily armed and highly skilled knights. She needed Ramza, to survive this fight, to save the Princess, to live another day. Agrias drew a heavy breath; no, that's not all. Her thoughts weren't complete; as strange as it sounded, with hardly even knowing the man, Agrias felt that she just needed… him.

Agrias was not the only one to realize what it would mean if Ramza betrayed them; Alicia, Lavian, and Belle knew that what Ramza decided would also decide their fate. Alicia didn't want to die, not today, not like this. Not by him. Not by the man she… the chemist blinked back tears, and prayed for a miracle.

Ramza wavered, and shifted slightly, not looking at the women, staring ahead at Gafgarion. There was no light in his eyes.

Lavian feared the worst, and tried to prepare herself for death. None of the women wanted to die, and the knight was no exception. If she was to die today, she would face death head on, as a warrior should. Her eyes gleamed; she would not be taken alive. She would make sure her friends would not suffer the horrors of captivity, even if she was the one who had to end their lives. No warrior deserved that fate; she would keep everyone's honor.

Ramza's small spark had dimmed; beaten and bruised, it was dying. Ramza's long depression, fear of failing, and long months of mental abuse at the hands of Gafgarion overpowered the brightness within him. Ramza, no longer caring, face blank and cold, took a step forward. Gafgarion smirked with glee.

He moved to take another step, intending to join Gafgarion, but suddenly stopped, feeling a very faint resistance on his arm; a hand was holding onto his sleeve. It was a tentative grasp, only a thumb and finger, and could have been easily broken with little effort. Ramza twisted his torso and head, following the hand to its owner; Belle's tearful face gazed back at him. Her brown eyes were pleading and fearful, staring at her hand that clasped him so delicately; her voice trembled and she whispered softly, "Please…" her voice hesitated, and she peeked up through her lashes to look him in the eye. The vulnerability she displayed was momentous; her arms shook slightly as she grasped his arm, "D-don't…"

Ramza, his mind already weak from his battle, felt like he had been struck; he remembered, long ago, of another girl begging for help, crying to be saved, and that time he had done nothing. His small spark, fed by hope, grew, putting feeling back into his skin, and light back into his eyes. A quick glance, small movement of his eyes, showed Alicia with tears down her face, mouthing 'No', showed Lavian's hope dying with him, and showed Agrias's pain. In just a few breaths, he saw that his decision, right now, would either cause these woman's deaths, or give them a fighting chance to live.

Maybe it was finally seeing everyone's face, or perhaps it was just seeing Agrias's sad eyes, but the fire within him flared brightly, bursting into a roaring inferno, driving away the darkness and doubt lurking in the corners of his mind.

_No more running! No more doubt! Save her! Help them! SAVE YOURSELF! _

It all took only a few breaths; his internal battle, the struggle of his despair and hope, was like an eternity for the squire. In the mortal plane, however, only a few heartbeats had passed.

Belle watched as Ramza beat his inner demons; she could clearly see it in his eyes. They sparkled, fiercely, chasing away the gloom that had shadowed his face. The woman gasped; it was as if he had transformed, morphed into something else. Someone greater; once when he had first rescued her from her tormenters, less then a week ago, yet it seemed a lifetime, she first saw a glimpse of this hidden Ramza. He wasn't divine, or angelic, or overly heroic; for that short moment in time, back when she had thought all was lost, he inspired hope and confidence. This is what he did now; Belle was not sure if she would survive the day, but she no longer had doubt or despair. He gave a half-grin, almost unseen, but all around him saw; the warriors felt their burdens lift, their worry evaporate, and were embraced by a soothing calm. They were ready to fight.

This was Ramza's magic, lost years ago to a painful memory; he couldn't do everything, he was no god, no immortal, and, he thought, no hero. What he did, though, was inspire those around him to be more than they thought they could be. His dormant confidence spread to others around him, and he turned, drawing his blade so fast those who blinked missed it, and roared to the dark knight, "No! No more! I won't let her become another helpless sacrifice! There will be no more victims like Teta!"

Ramza's words caused a ripple effect; Delita staggered slightly, mind reminiscing his last battle with the squire. The Nanten knight grit his teeth, forcing his mind to the present; Ramza had no right to mention her name, not after what he had done, but that would have to wait for another day. Now he needed to focus on getting out of this alive; clasping his sword firmly, he awaited the start of this fight. Delita recovered from his moment of weakness quickly, no one noticing but Olivia, still pressed on his back. The smell of the man, his scent akin to steel and leather, and the feeling of his arm wrapped around her, caused a shiver to run through the princess's spine. When he whispered to her, "Head to your knight once we begin," she almost wanted to ignore his order and stay here with him. The desire was short lived, as, when she cleared her head, she nodded into his back, letting him know she would do as he said.

Gafgarion, upon hearing Ramza's denial, roared with fury; the squire shouldn't have had any will left, and should have finally broken! This wasn't part of the deal, and certainly not part of the contract; too bad. Looks like Ramza would have to die. He spat out, "You made a mistake boy! Your gaffe will cost you dearly!" As the dark knight spoke, he moved his arm in subtly. To the untrained eye, it seemed like he was moving to enhance his anger, but to one person, the signs meant something.

Rad, at the back of the rescue party, and forgotten by all but his dark master, moved quietly, unnoticed by those in front of him, positioning himself behind Belle, drawing his two jagged dirks quietly; Gafgarion gave him some orders, and it would be his pleasure to carry them out. The tension built on the field was finally shattered as Rad struck fiercely at Belle's unsuspecting back, aiming for her lung; after all, he wanted her mostly alive at the end of this battle, otherwise he couldn't have his fun with her, and a lung wound will give him many long minutes for his play. Rad's dagger never got to the chemist's lung; Lavian, noticing the cruel man's movement a heartbeat before he struck, lunged sideways, instinctively protecting the older woman, and was able to shove her aside. Belle tumbled aside unharmed with a small cry; Lavian was not so lucky. The dagger meant for Belle pierced her underarm armor, burying itself deep into the knight's side. Intense pain laced through Lavian as her lung started to collapse, and she fell to the ground without a sound.

It was as if someone broke through a dam; movements, shouts, and violence erupted. Ramza, his heart almost stopping with fear for Lavian, yelled, "Gafgarion's mine!" and sprinted forward, clashing with the dark knight. Alicia, fear, then fury, flooding her face screamed, drew a dagger, and attacked Rad almost recklessly, driving the man back a few feet. Belle, holding back tears and refusing to think Lavian sacrificed herself, stood, drawing her own dagger, and joined Alicia in attacking Rad.

Agrias turned quickly, preparing a healing spell for her dreadfully wounded friend, but stopped when Lavian, who was still conscious, whispered around the blood in her mouth, "H-help Ram-za… I'll b-be ok until-l you get… get back…" Agrias hesitated only a moment, considering the wounded woman's words. Lavian was in intense pain, probably more severe then she had ever experienced before, but the wound, if treated within a few minutes, was not fatal. Ramza, by himself, was charging four skilled knights, one being Gafgarion. It was only when Lavian nodded, staring at her with one eye open, her face grim, blood leaking from her mouth, did Agrias mimic her, nodding back.

The holy knight whispered, "Don't die on me, that's an order," before turning and charging at a knight, trying to distract him from Ramza. It worked; two knights, seeing the woman charge, turned to face her. Agrias was under no illusion that this would be an easy fight; stopping her charge short, she whispered a small chant, invoking a basic holy knight technique. Calling out "Stasis Sword!" blue shards of crystal, formed by her own holy magic, crashed into the two men; while it stung them, no major damage was done. Agrias cursed; she had hoped that the attack might have locked one or both of them in a still temporal state. Alas, luck was not with the holy knight, and she readied her shield as the two knights clashed with her. She would have to win this with her sword skill.

Up on the bridge, Delita, waiting a few moments for the knights behind him to turn their attention to Ramza and Agrias, barked out to the Princess, "Now!" as he rushed forward.

Olivia hesitated, calling out to him, "What are you? Enemy or ally?"

Delita halted, not by the Princess's words, but because he had was where he wanted to be; before he unleashed his attack, he called back to her, "Human, just like you!" Not seeing her amazed look, he focused onto the closest knight, and initiated his most powerful attack, "Crush Punch!" As he swung his sword forward, a blood-red, giant sized replica of his own blade burst from the ground in front of the knight. The magical blade, angled at the knight's chest, struck the man, passing through his armor like it wasn't there, and killed him instantly. Delita gave a whisper of thanks to lady luck as the man crumpled to the ground; such a precise strike was uncommon with this technique. Delita did not celebrate long, as he still had two other angry knights with which to deal.

While she wanted to get to Agrias as soon as she could, Olivia stood where she was; she wanted to do one thing for Delita before she retreated. As royalty, the Princess was taught a unique spell, used to greatly aid those who she deemed worthy, but it was greatly straining on her energy. Already making her decision, Olivia whispered a quick incantation, faster then even the most basic of spells, calling softly, "Aegis." Once the spell was complete, she turned, and ran, dodging past the dueling Agrias, to where Lavian, a friendly face she knew and trusted, lay.

Delita, feeling the effects of Olivia's spell, laughed aloud; he felt stronger, faster, more resilient, and he could feel the energizing magic course through his veins, promising to knit wounds as fast as they could be felt. If he had known she could have done this, he wouldn't have bothered with his sword ability. It's much more satisfying to slaughter your foes at close range. He would be done with these two novices in no time.

Ramza had clashed with Gafgarion, trading a few blows, both doing little damage; while he accepted that he might have faced all four men alone, he was greatly relieved that Agrias had occupied two of the knights. The third knight, being the furthest away, started forward; Ramza knew that he would need to fully concentrate on the dark knight. If Gafgarion was able to slip away from their fight, he would kill the rest of his friends; the squire had to deal with him now, and kill him above all others. Growling, he suddenly burst into action, flailing his sword wildly, putting Gafgarion fully on the defensive. Ramza pushed the dark knight back with a sudden kick, causing no damage to Gafgarion, but that was not the squire's intent. Suddenly free from combat, Ramza faced the rushing knight and, with a yell, stomped the ground, holding his free arm out, palm up, fist clenched. A ripple ran through the rock from Ramza's foot to the knight's feet; opening his hand, Ramza made a motion as if he was pulling something down, then suddenly closing his hand once more. The knight gave a cry of surprise as the ground beneath his feet opened, causing him to fall strait down about a foot, before closing again, not only causing damage to his legs, but effectively trapping the man in place.

Agrias, sporting a few hits and giving back worse, gasped in amazement at the squire's action; if she didn't know better, that was a move only a geomancer could do. Of what else was Ramza capable? Agrias didn't have time to ponder as both knights attacked, trying to slip past her shield; Agrias blocked the more powerful attack, letting the second slip past; the knight's blade bit deep on her side, cleaving through her plate. Agrias grunted off the blow, and dipped her sword forward, sliding past the knight's shield, aiming for the weak spot between chest plate and helm; her strike was true, and she felt the blade bite skin and bone, blood gushing from the knight's helm. Using her momentum, she rammed the second knight with her shield, not to damage, but to give her space. The knight, not expecting the attack, stumbled backwards, giving Agrias a chance to kick off the dead knight's body from her blade. With one of her foes down, the holy knight's confidence grew; the knight recovered quickly, sparing his dead friend a passing glance, before striking Agrias once more. The knight was quite skilled, but Agrias knew she was the better; the man's fate was sealed.

Olivia, kneeling next to Lavian and holding her hand, watched the violence around her with dismay; she was a kind girl and never did, and never would, enjoy the sight of killing. The Princess knew that if she tried to help any of the experienced warriors, she would just get in the way, so she stayed where she was, her eyes closed, clutching Lavian's hand, and waited for the fighting to stop. Olivia opened her eyes when she felt Lavian pull on her arm; the knight, fighting off great pain, was motioning her closer, to whisper something in her ear. Olivia brought her face close, listening to the woman's words; her eyes widened, and she looked over to where Alicia and Belle were battling Rad. Biting her lip, she nodded to Lavian.

Alicia and Belle had yet to land a substantial hit on the nimble squire; if Rad were facing only one of the women, she would have already been dead, but the fact that the two worked off each other, and they were bolstered by rage, had kept them both alive thus far. The squire, one of his dirks still embedded in Lavian, was fending off both chemists' attacks with his single blade, but in doing so had yet to land a strike with it, effectively putting them all at a deadlock. One mistake, on anyone's part, would be the breaking point.

Alicia knew that it wouldn't be long before one of the two chemists tired; they had been fighting fiercely on adrenaline, but their energy was starting to wane. Her reflexes dulled slightly, she was unable to fully dodge a dagger strike from Rad; getting a slash across her arm, that would have been a stab to the chest, Alicia instinctively splashed a potion on the wound, before Rad could follow up his strike. Belle, behind the squire, grinned with pride at her pupil; Alicia could now react to damage, immediately finding and using her chemical items. It showed great knowledge in chemistry, and Belle knew the girl was ready for magic.

Rad, thinking that Alicia had made the mistake to end the fight, cursed aloud at her lightning fast reflex; it was as if he hadn't damaged her in the first palace! Bitches. "No more fucking nice guy," Rad muttered, drawing on a burst of energy, slashing quickly. He was going to end this. Now. Alicia, not expecting his sudden movement, was pushed back, her dagger deflected so hard she almost lost her grasp on it, leaving her exposed to an attack. Rad, crying out in victory, lurched forward; intense pain suddenly shot up through his heel, and Rad's cry turned to pain. The squire looked down to his feet, seeing a dirk, his dirk, embedded into his ankle, cleanly severing vital tendons, crippling his movement. His eyes widened with disbelief as he stared at Lavian, held up by Olivia, who had thrown his own dirk at him. This didn't fare well for the cruel man, and he knew that he had little hope of salvaging this fight by himself. Suddenly gripped by fear, he called out to his one ally, his master, who would come to his aid, "Gafgarion! Help!"

The dark knight, locked in his own fight against Ramza, heard his ward's call, and threw some dirt into Ramza's face, momentarily breaking the scuffle. As Ramza tried to wipe the mud from his face, Gafgarion glanced to where Rad fought; the elder man knew in an instant that Rad had little chance to get away alive. It would be useless to try to abandon his fight with Ramza, as the squire was determined to keep him occupied; it was a shame, really. Rad was useful in the past, but his usefulness had just ended. It annoyed Gafgarion that he has wasted three years to mold the young man in his image, and the two bitches that bested the man would pay, dearly, but business was business, and Gafgarion never got the raw end of a deal. Sparing his failed protégé one last look, he turned his back on Rad, just in time to block a powerful blow by Ramza.

Rad watched in horror as his master abandoned him; the young man cursed the dark knight, feeling betrayed and used. The two chemists, he noticed, had recovered from his attack, and would strike soon; Rad, crippled and unable to dodge, now starting to cower like a beaten dog, knew he was out of options. Before he could utter a word of surrender, Alicia and Belle, faces filled with rage and daggers flashing, drove their blades furiously into Rad. Alicia struck a moment before Belle, at the squire's gut, slashing in an upward angle, causing Rad's innards to spill out; he instinctively hunched forward due to the horrid pain, trying to gather up his guts. Belle, who was aiming for the man's neck, twisted her stab, piercing his back, below the shoulder, puncturing his lung, and whispering, "That's for Lavian!"

Rad let out a blood-curdling scream. Pain beyond anything he could conceive arced through him, and, succumbing, his cry ending, he collapsed, dying. For a heartbeat the two women stared at his twitching body, Alicia feeling slight remorse, never one to enjoy ending a life, no matter how horrible and cruel the life may be. Belle shared none of Alicia's sentiment; she felt mild elation and something akin to closure at the man's dying at her feet. Both were shaken from their paralysis by Olivia, who was applying pressure to Lavian's wound, calling for aid. Belle, after telling Alicia to go aid the knight, knelt down next to the raggedly breathing Rad, her face cold. Pent up rage and hatred burned in her veins, past abuse from him, and others, swirling though her mind; she reveled in the fright in the man's eyes, sneering in contempt at his pleading face. She wasn't a cruel girl, but at the sight of this man, a man just like _them_, lying helpless at her feet, something in her snapped, and the kind girl she knew fled. Belle slowly drew out a powerful elixir, hovering the tonic above the dying man, amused at the greed in his eyes as he stared at the bottle. "Do you want to be saved?"

Rad, not believing his luck, forced a weak grin on his face, "Y-yes…"

"What will you do for me?" Belle's face was blank as she questioned the dying man.

"Any-" his voice was cut off by a cough, "Anything…"

"Anything?" Belle's lips puckered, considering, "Will you swear your loyalty to only me?"

"Yes…"

Belle arched an eyebrow, lifting the elixir away from the squire, "Yes?"

Rad coughed up blood, grimacing, and forced out, "Yes, m-m'lady…"

A sickly sweet grin grew on her face, "You'll kill for me?" Rad answered the same, "Fetch things for me, like a dog?" again, Rad croaked out his answer, "You'll service us women in anyway I deem fit?" another nod. Belle's smile melted, and her face turned dark; she stuffed her elixir back into her pouch and drew out her other dagger, pressing the tip to the man's throat, whispering, "I want you to undue the evil things bastards like you did to me! I want my womanhood back! I want the scars that were made when those fucking mongrels raped me gone!" her voice was harsh, laced with sadness and grief. She paused, catching her breath, willing herself not to cry; speaking again, this time in wonder and soft joy, her eyes becoming distant, "I want a good man to hold me…" Another pause, then, her voice again cold, "But first, I want you to die." With that, she swiftly cut Rad's neck. Belle stood, not watching Rad squirm, and as she walked away from the dying squire, she whispered back, "I won't let a man like you hurt another woman like me."

The battle was nearing completion; Alicia had run to where Lavian lay, pulling out a container of phoenix powder, a powerful chemical item that could hold death at bay, harvested by crushing the ancient and powerful phoenix's feathers, and sprinkled the dust over Lavian's wounds, followed by a few potions to aid in her healing.

Delita, enhanced by Olivia's magic, had overpowered one foe and was finishing his last, cleaving through shield and sword.

Ramza, blocking every underhanded attempt of defeat by Gafgarion, had finally worn the dark knight down; Gafgarion was sporting a half-dozen deep cuts and was unable to use his life-stealing technique to heal the wounds he received by Ramza's blade. Still, the squire was sporting fewer, but more severe, wounds from the dark knight's heavier sword, and if Ramza was allowed the luxury of prolonging this battle, he was confident that Gafgarion would fall; time was, as in most cases for the squire, not on his side, though. The knight that Ramza had immobilized at the start of his scuffle had almost freed himself from the sinkhole the squire had made. Ramza would be at a disadvantage if the knight joined this battle. As the squire was thinking to place all his energy into one last reckless attack, Rad's life-ending cry carried through the air. Resisting the urge to turn, Ramza watched as Gafgarion's face showed disappointment, then anger, his own eyes flicking to where the dying Rad lay for only a fraction of a moment; Ramza expected just a faint look of remorse from the dark knight. He muttered, "So much for loyalty," before thinking twice.

Gafgarion's rage-filled face turned to the squire. "This isn't over boy! A battle won, but the war will be lost!" The dark knight reached into a pouch, and pulled out a small glass ball, crushing it in his hands. A yellow smoke bellowed around Gafgarion, and, before Ramza could react, he started to fade, spitting out, "You'll pay dearly for today; I will see you suffer for your audacity!"

Ramza sputtered, "Try your best you bast-"

Gafgarion cut him off with an insulting laugh, "Fool! It's not _you_ that will feel my wrath…" His eyes darted quickly to Agrias and the other women, licking his lips suggestively, and repulsively, "By the time I'm done with them, you'll beg me for death!" The dark knight cackled cruelly, with a touch of madness, and before Ramza could reply, finally faded to nothing, leaving behind the dissipating yellow fog and an echo of his laughter.

Ramza cursed, wondering what else the dark knight knew about him, as his words run true; the squire would rather suffer for eternity then see his friends in peril. Gafgarion was not one to falsely throw around threats, so Ramza would have to be cautious. His disappearing act was a mixed blessing; the orb was probably a teleportation item, used to transport someone to a set location, and wherever Gafgarion was now, he was hopefully facing a very irate employer. Turning away from the fog, he faced the now freed knight, barking out, "Lay down your weapon and surrender!" The knight, startled at the force of Ramza's order, immediately did so, his sword and shield clashing on the rock, his arms up in the air. Ramza grinned, lightly telling himself, "Still got it." Taking out some rope, Ramza used it to bind the knight's arms, looking about the battlefield to check on everyone else.

Agrias just finished her fight, ducking a tired swing from her opponent, using the opening to run the man through. The man was felled just as Gafgarion's half insane laughter enveloped the battlefield; the sound ran shivers down her spine. She didn't know what he spoke of with Ramza before he faded, his words were too soft, but she knew it couldn't have been good. Fatigued, arms heavy, she remained still, catching her breath, using the time to mimic Ramza and check on her friends. Alicia was tending Lavian's wound, with Belle joining the two; Olivia was standing near the warriors, watching them, and the carnage around her with sad eyes. Ramza had taken a captive, leading him over to the group. The Nanten knight was on the other side of the river, idly kicking a fallen knight, checking if he was still breathing. Content that the knight was indeed dead, he started across the bridge, heading to the group. Olivia also noticed Delita's approach, and started forward, gliding past Agrias; the holy knight, startled for a moment, gave a look at her troops and, once she got some thumbs up from the girls, followed the Princess.

Agrias, Ramza with his captive, Olivia, and Delita met at the edge of the rope bridge; there was a moment of silence as the two groups appraised each other. The silence was broken by Ramza, "Delita… it's good to see you after all these years."

The Nanten holy knight watched the squire, his face stony. After a moment he replied, "Yes. Imagine us meeting here, this place, this… situation." A small frown cracked on his face, "Tell me Ramza, are your brothers still controlling your life?"

Ramza shook his head, ignoring a questioning look from Agrias, "Up until today, I would have told you 'no', but now I wonder…" he paused, "Starting now, however, no one decides my fate; it is mine alone. What of yourself? Is this all part of some plot?"

"No, I came to save the Princess, to free her from those who were exploiting her. No more. No less." Delita stared at Ramza, saying no more.

There were a few more moments of silence as the two men tried to read each other, both faces neutral. Agrias broke the silence this time, "What do you want with the Princess?" she had Olivia standing half behind her protectively; Agrias did not trust this man, and certainly did not like the way Olivia was looking at him.

Delita broke the gaze and moved his sight to Agrias, still remaining silent. Agrias was startled at first at the man's cold expression, but her surprise was quickly changed to anger as she scowled back at the man, meeting his cool look with her own. "Leave the Princess with me. It'll be better for her."

Agrias's eyes widened and she sputtered in anger; she sidestepped, moving completely in front of Olivia, "W-what?"

Ramza also stepped forward, "Delita, what are you scheming?"

Switching his gaze again, Delita coldly told Ramza, "Scheming? Your words bite, old _friend_. Don't be foolish; I have no scheme, just telling the truth. She would be better off with me; think about it. Where would you take her after making an enemy of Hokuten? Elite Hokuten troops will come here looking for you within a matter of days. Just where the hell would you run?"

Ramza stuttered, "W-well… um… I…" Now that he thought about it, he had no idea what he would do with a renegade princess.

Delita interrupted, "Think carefully. The Princess knows this was Prince Larg's plan. The royal family is not on your side. So what about Goltana? No, he'd execute you just to clear himself from the abduction."

Agrias saw Ramza hesitate as he scrounged for something to say; after the small banter between the two men, she was insanely curious about Ramza's past. Just who is this Ramza Lugria? Pushing aside her questions for Ramza, she instead asked Delita, "And what would you do?"

"I'd do what you can't do," he answered with a shrug.

Ramza snorted; it figured he'd answer so vaguely, "Stop being ambiguous; what do you mean?"

"…I can't tell you," Delita twisted his head, looking across the landscape, thinking for a moment. With a sudden flourish, he turned, taking a step towards the bridge, "I'll leave the Princess with you for a little longer." With that, he slowly started across the bridge.

Ramza hesitated a moment, and then called out to him, "Delita… I'm relieved you are alive, and am truly happy to see you again."

Delita paused; his old friend's words were sincere, and, even though his exterior showed nothing, the holy knight did welcome the words. Struggling with his emotions for a moment, he softly replied, "Teta saved me…" Delita waited, but he heard nothing from Ramza; turning his head, he saw the squire stare at him, sorrow on his face. Delita cleared his throat, "Teta saved me back then. Fought on until the end, and shielded me." The holy knight's face went cold again, turning his back to his old friend, "She did more than you."

Ramza winced; Delita's words cut deep. Nevertheless, he deserved Delita's wrath; he failed him, and Teta, long ago. The squire just nodded at his old friend's back, as Delita continued forward, intending to leave this place; he was halted once last time by Olivia, who, watching her knight leave, stepped forward, calling to him, "Thank you, Sir Delita!"

After a moment, Delita called back, "See you around, Ramza." And with that he was gone, disappearing behind the rocks on the far side of the bank.


	12. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 11

**Author Notes:** Happy Holidays everyone! What holiday? eh, take your pick. As a holiday present, I give you the next chapter, and boy is this one big. I recall stating time and time again that "this will be my last big chapter, don't expect it again!" Oh bother. I can't even stick to those words.

Hopefully I won't get much complaints about the length, and if I do, sucks to be you then!

Not much else to say; forewarning, more of that "angst" crap is used, but I notice that the emotion is needed for people to get over whatever they are crying about and move on. Seeing how that's Ramza's journey right now, more self pity ahoy! I promise, he'll suck it up. Eventually.

To all those who have reviewed, I humbly thank you! Enjoy.

* * *

Agrias turned to Ramza as soon as the Nanten knight had left; she wanted to say so much to him, a mixture of thanks and questions, that her words got cluttered in her mouth. Before she could clear the verbal traffic, Ramza, thinking she only had questions for him, quietly said, "Let us return to Boco before your inquisition." He looked her in the eyes, pleading, "Please."

Agrias blinked, and shut her gaping mouth, nodding; obviously Ramza's past was haunting him, and he needed time to sort his thoughts. She would wait; it was the least she could do. But some things needed to be said now. The holy knight took a glance around, seeing that Olivia was still silently watching the far shore, staring off in the direction of Delita; Agrias would have to deal with that later, as well. Lavian, exhausted but able to move, Alicia, and Belle had quietly approached, the knight leaning upon Belle for support. Lavian, catching her breath and Agrias's eyes, nodded, giving a small smile, indicating she was fine. Agrias knew that Lavian lived, but she still gave a breath of relief seeing her walk again. Once her warriors were around her, she again faced Ramza, this time a soft smile on her face, and in her eyes. "Ramza… Thank you." She saw his mouth open, probably to protest, but she quieted him, stepping forward, laying a hand on his arm. "Shush, I'll have none of your 'it was nothings'. Without your support… without your fighting for us, I'm not sure…" Agrias closed her eyes briefly, driving away images of all her friends dead, or worse. "…Thank you."

Ramza, his gaze caught in a deep sapphire ocean, swallowed the lump that formed; he was still unused to the feeling of sincere comradeship, something he thought he had abandoned years ago. It was at this moment that he knew, regardless of the outcome of his life, he had chosen the right path. He blushed, realizing his gaze had lingered too long, softly replying, "You're welcome."

Agrias's hand lingered on the squire's arm for a moment, enjoying the warmth she felt, before she dropped her arm, asking Ramza, "Your actions will make an enemy of the Hokuten; you know that, right?"

Ramza nodded firmly, firmly stating, "Don't worry; I have made my decision, and have pledged my allegiance. I regret nothing I have done today. Right now, though, we have other concerns; what do we do? Like Delita said, we can't seek refuge with the Nanten or Hokuten…"

There was a moment of silence as everyone pondered what to do; it was Lavian who spoke first, "What about the Glabados Church?" Surprised, Agrias turned to her friend with a questioning glance. Lavian shrugged, "Only trying to help."

"Actually, Lavian might have the right idea." All heads turned to Ramza, who smiled bashfully, "What I mean is, the Glabados Church has jurisdiction over Lionel, and doesn't answer to either the Hokuten or Nanten. We could ask Cardinal Draclau for help."

Agrias pondered this thought; all that the squire said was true, and the cardinal wouldn't be part of the politics surrounding the throne. They could seek sanctuary there. Agrias grinned, patting Lavian, lightly, on the shoulders. "Good idea! That's our destination, then. Let's get back to Boco, pick up our supplies, and head out. It'll take over a week to get to Lionel Castle, maybe more." Everyone nodded; she expected deference from her soldiers, she was the commanding officer, but was pleasantly surprised when Ramza firmly nodded as well, respecting her leadership. Her eyes turned to Ramza's captive; his presence did not go unnoticed, "I'll leave it to you, Ramza, to take care of the prisoner. Traitors are usually hung, but I don't see any trees around. Take care of him as you see fit." Her voice didn't carry the malice she spoke, and Ramza could sense this. Their eyes met once again; neither wanted another death on their hands.

Ramza nodded, telling her, "I'll take care of it." Agrias gave the man a small smile as she reached out and grabbed at Olivia, who was, much to Agrias's annoyance, still staring across the river. Shaking the Princess out of her stupor, she led her down the trail, back to where Boco was guarding Olivia's luggage. Alicia and Lavian followed, the younger woman acting as support for the wounded knight.

Before he could deal with the captive knight, Ramza needed to talk to Belle, who had yet to follow her friends down the trail. Hesitating for only a moment, he called to her, "Belle, could you assist me with the captive?"

"Yes!" Belle turned to him immediately, as if she was waiting for Ramza's words.

Ramza, getting nervous for some reason, tore his eyes away from the approaching beauty and turned to the knight, who looked at him with a mixture of defiance and fear. Ramza circled the man, so he was standing behind the kneeling knight, and whispered to him, "Today will not be your last, blackcoat." Before the knight could reply, aside from a startled grunt, Ramza's palm shot forward, crashing into the back of the man's skull, knocking out the man instantly. The knight crumpled to the ground; he was alive, but would wake in a few hours with one massive headache.

Ramza's gaze moved from the motionless man to Belle, who was now next to him. They stared at each other for a few heartbeats, while Ramza gathered the courage to speak; Belle unnerved him slightly, partially because of her beauty, something he could not deny, and partially because he was about to express something he had not expressed for ages. Ignoring his, and her, flushed cheeks, he steadied his wits, and told her, "Thank you."

Belle was startled, obviously not expecting Ramza's words; she actually wasn't sure what she was supposed to expect. Ramza confused her, not only by his attitude and behavior, but also by his presence. She certainly didn't mind looking at the handsome man, and she felt her heart flutter, with what she was unsure, when she felt his eyes on her. She was still a little uncomfortable around him, not sure if she could fully trust men again after all she had gone through. Before her freedom she was content in hating all males, thinking they were nothing but animals; Ramza changed that, and Belle was unsure how to react. She hesitated, asking, "What for?"

Ramza's eyebrows shot up; did she not know how she helped him? He reached out and grabbed her hands in his. "What for? I…" he looked around, scraping for words to describe his feelings, blurting, "I was almost lost to darkness." He frowned; that sounded silly, "What I mean is… Look, I have been dwelling on my past for way too long. My failure long ago drove my mind to doubt and despair… That's how I found myself under Gafgarion's… command." Ramza watched her face, surprised at how serious she looked. "My doubt, the apprehension I had making any kind of decision, and Gafgarion's degradation crushed something within me. All that negativity and darkness within me drove my- this sounds foolish- light away. Before you intervened I had convinced myself that it all wasn't worth it." He paused, gathering his thoughts, "If you hadn't grasped my arm, held me back I would have…" Again, he went silent, organizing his mind.

Belle found herself clutching the squire's hands fiercely; she was honestly surprised that she didn't jerk her hands away when he first grabbed them. Not long ago, her skin crawled at the thought of a man touching her, in any way; not so with Ramza. She was mesmerized by the squire's voice and face as he spoke; his words were chillingly similar to how she felt when she got her freedom. Belle finally truly heard what Ramza was saying, and what he was doing. As she had done with him, he was showing his weakness, reliving his past, and sharing what he could with her. It surprised her. It was easy to see Ramza guarded and controlling his emotions; could someone change so quickly? Belle could feel her heart quicken as she held onto every one of Ramza's words, realizing that, even though she might not be the only one he would share with, she was the first.

Ramza, after taking a deep breath, continued speaking, "You saved me, Belle." He frowned slightly, "No, that's unfair… all of you, Agrias, Lavian, Alicia, and you, Belle, saved me… But you… you were the first. You pulled me back from the brink." He finally smiled, his gaze deep, "Your words, your vulnerability… showed me that I'm needed. I haven't been needed… Thank you, Belle."

There was a pause, and Ramza looked like he was to speak again, but Belle heard enough. He did not have to explain himself anymore, his eyes spoke the rest. She shyly raised a hand to cup Ramza's cheek, hushing him, "Your thanks are not needed, Ramza. Not because I don't appreciate your words or because I think my actions meaningless." His face felt warm on her palm, sending shivers down her spine. _God, could I be enjoying a man's touch?_ "You saved me first. Truly saved me, saved my life, saved my soul, and saved my body."

At first slightly startled by her touch, he reacted with concern, an unspoken question in his eyes. She shook her head, "That tale is for another day. It was hard enough telling Alicia." She hesitated, and then impulsively leaned forward, wrapping the man in a hug. Her instincts screamed out against it, but she was determined to show the squire her thanks and appreciation for his help.

Ramza, for a moment, froze at the woman's embrace; while he put on the air of an unobservant squire, Ramza was quite astute in reading people and finding deeper meanings within their actions and words; well, in most regards. Amusingly, or frustratingly, depending, his inner eye ran into a wall when it came to subtle romance. While Belle had no issue carrying conversations with the squire, and sometimes she actually enjoyed herself, she never touched him. Any kind of physical contact, other than what was needed, like a shake awake when it was his turn to guard, was carefully and purposefully avoided. It always confused him why she would be so distant; it was common for him to give a friendly pat or clasp with the other women, and to receive one in return, but never with Belle. With her own confession, he knew that there must have been some kind of abuse in her past, probably from a man or men; this was her way of showing trust. This trust was delicate as she trembled next to him; his arms, at first lying limp, rose softly, and he held her.

Belle's trembling intensified as she felt Ramza's arms surround her; for a moment she almost panicked. It was too familiar, the overwhelming sensation of being surrounded. She wanted to throw him off and run, but she fought the urge; Ramza wouldn't hurt her. Not in that way. His arms tightened slightly and he shifted his hands, one moving down to the middle of her back, cupping it softly, and the other moving to her neck. His arms were gentle and supportive, the feeling of being overwhelmed changing into something else. With one hand he gently rubbed her neck, dissolving the tension that was liable to break her; long years ago, Belle would have envisioned this embrace as one that could have been shared between lovers, but instead of her heart quickening, she felt herself relaxing in his arms, her shaking slowing, and finally stopping. Losing herself in this yet-named feeling, Belle tried to cuddle closer, suddenly wishing Ramza was not clad in his armor, wanting to feel a human body next to hers. Again, her mind fluttered; why would she want that kind of contact? The realization caused tears to form in her eyes; for the first time since she was a little girl, she felt protected. Not the protection of a lover, but the honest support and care of a friend. Belle shed a few tears in his arms, not the tears of anger that she stained Alicia's tunic with, but tears of lament, grieving it took so long to find this type of companionship. Her tears did not last long; Belle was done with crying, and she finally felt like she was ready to move on. As they parted, Ramza gently dried her tears with his hands, giving her a warm smile, and she returned it.

No words were spoken once they were apart; they had already spoken enough. Both had torn down some personal barriers and helped one another heal in some way. The comfort given and received had brought the two closer, and both were pleased with that fact. As Belle composed herself, wiping her face dry and cleaning her nose, Ramza dragged the unconscious knight to a shallow cave nearby, tucking the man inside. Rummaging quietly through his backpack, Ramza pulled out a few days' rations and a skin of water, laying the supplies next to the man's sword. The cave would provide cover from any wandering monsters, and in a few hours' time the man would be awake, with enough equipment to last a few days. What he did then was his own choice.

Ramza dusted off his hands, and glanced around at the half dozen bodies left by the failed ambush; his long time as a mercenary saw this as an opportunity. Smiling somewhat bashfully at Belle, he took a few minutes to drag the corpses off the main road, piling them together, and taking a few moments to quickly search their pouches. Dead men need no money, after all. Each of the knights had a hefty pouch, filled to the brim with gil, but it was his former ally, Rad, who carried the heftiest bounty; Ramza could no longer consider himself poor. He now had a small fortune, and Ramza knew the gil would be very useful. He walked back to Belle, who arched her eyebrow questioningly; Ramza shrugged, saying, "They don't need it and I do." Belle mimicked his shrug, and graced him with a smile. They turned and, walking side by side, headed down the path, where Boco and the rest waited.

* * *

Although it seemed like a long time to the two, less than a half hour had passed, so by the time Ramza and Belle had gathered with the rest, Boco was already saddled, Princess Olivia comfortably resting on the birds back, and ready to go. Ramza noticed that the women, and the bird, were not carrying the rescued luggage they had scavenged from the burnt carriage. Agrias followed the squire's eyes to the respectable pile of sacks, boxes, and packs abandoned on the ground, a dozen feet away, and said slightly coldly and briskly, "The Princess deemed it necessary to leave behind her belongings."

Olivia scoffed, calling back, "Agrias, as I already said, everything there is just that – things. They are mostly useless, clothing and the like, and will only be a hindrance." Olivia watched the holy knight… sulk, of all things. Alicia, who was acting as primary guard for the princess, nudged her slightly, looking up at the girl; the chemist had told Olivia about the past few days' occurrences briefly while they were waiting for Ramza and Belle to get back. Olivia, wondering why the girl would nudge her, gave a slight cringe; of course. The chemist had told her how Agrias was reluctant to abandon her carriage, and about all the aggravation carrying all her luggage caused. If the princess so coldly dismissed Agrias's efforts, she will dishearten the holy knight. More politics; Olivia thought fast, and amended her speech, "Thankfully you were able to recover my mother's pendant, and for that you have my gratitude." Olivia smiled at her knight, who, realizing her effort was not in vain, smiled back. As Agrias turned to speak with Ramza, Olivia also shot a soft smile of thanks to Alicia.

Ramza steeled himself, thinking that Agrias would start grilling him with questions, but was startled when all she said was, "Everything ok up there?" Agrias watched the squire's blinking face, trying to hide her concern; the two of them were up there for much longer than was needed to deal with one knight. They weren't wounded, so there couldn't have been another fight; they were, however, more comfortable with each other. Rather, Belle was more comfortable with Ramza, no longer looking ill at ease standing next to him; really close to him, actually. This bothered Agrias; a small part of her, resting deep within, had inklings of why the closeness between the two was causing her distress. But Agrias, stubbornly refusing that such a feeling could have grown for the man, in so short of a time no less, ignored it. Comprehending Ramza's nod a moment after she should have, being too busy staring at the man, she stuttered out, "And the knight?"

"He'll wake up with a massive headache in about three hours with enough food and water for a few days. What he does is up to him; I doubt that he'll return to his post. Based on the scheme at hand, his punishment for returning would be harsh, if not death itself." Ramza shrugged as he spoke; the corner of his mind nagged that the man knew where they were headed, but, if the knight actually reported his failure, by that time they would already have sanctuary at the church.

Agrias nodded, accepting Ramza's choice, and unknowingly having the same concerns about the knight's knowledge; after a moment brewing it over, she also came to the same conclusion as Ramza. The rouge knight was no threat. "Then we should be off; we have a long trip to Zaland Fort City."

The group headed back up the path, Agrias and Lavian taking the lead, Olivia, atop Boco, Alicia following, and, much to the two women's mild annoyance, Belle and Ramza last. They quickly passed the ambush sight, Agrias making only a quick comment about the bodies, to which Ramza responded with an explanation of where they were. Soon they were past the rickety bridge with little trouble, Boco putting up a mild fight until Lavian, already across, tempted the bird with some gyshal greens. As they started out a little after noon, and due to the fatigue they all suffered during the fight, Agrias decided that they would only march for the remainder of the day, finding a campsite earlier then usual, so her troops could get some much needed rest. The hike was quite uneventful; no wandering monsters harassed the party's travel and the scenery was pleasant at which to gaze. Past the river was rolling, rocky plains, colored with patches of green shrubberies and small trees. A lot of the shrubs held small berries; Agrias's warriors, including Ramza, took a few moments to gather some of the small delectables, eating some but saving most for the night. The tiny sweets would be a great morale booster. They marched for only about five hours before Agrias slowed their pace, looking for a good place to camp for the night.

It wasn't that difficult to find a suitable site; they were, after all, at the southern tip of the Algost Mountains. It was Lavian who found the cave, spacious enough for five women, one bird, and a grossly outnumbered man. Everyone dragged their feet into the cave, most with half a mind to just drop their sleeping bags and sleep, but Agrias would have none of it; she rallied her friends, doling out chores for each of them, minus Olivia and herself. There were a few playful groans from Alicia and Lavian, but in short time the four soldiers were up and about, making the cave as habitable as possible.

Agrias, who took a seat on a comfortable looking rock, followed shortly by Olivia, watched her friends work; it had been such a short time, but already Belle and Ramza worked with her two knights in harmony. They both looked quite used to this kind of menial labor, actually; she deduced that Ramza probably did all of the chores when he was in Gafgarion's command. The holy knight snorted, drawing a strange stare from the princess; she was certain that arrogant dark knight wouldn't lift a finger when he had subordinates to do the work, and that slime ball Rad certainly wasn't a team player. It was Belle that confused her; she was part of a Nanten unit, and if Agrias had to guess based off of the chemist's skills, she wasn't a cadet, so she must have had rank. Why did she look like she went about her chores without second thought?

Agrias sighed; _I'm overanalyzing everything. I'm just tired; everyone is!_ Her thoughts were interrupted by some soft laughter, as Alicia and Lavian chuckled at some comment or joke Ramza made, their heads close together like conspirators. Agrias had to reevaluate her last thought as she looked at Ramza's smiling face; _correction, Ramza must be the only one of us, besides perhaps Olivia, not tired._ Her face tightened slightly, as it usually does when she starts to ponder. _In fact, he has been quite… cheerful since this afternoon; almost annoyingly so._ It was true; while there was no drastic change, the squire had a smile plastered on his face all day. He was still somewhat shy, but the holy knight recalled that he had actually initiated some of the idle conversations throughout their long hike. That was new; something definitely happened at the bridge between the squire and chemist. Agrias's face started to form a scowl; that smothered feeling started to emerge again, only to be tenaciously buried with denial once more.

Her warriors were almost done; Lavian had brushed and fed Boco and was laying out their sleeping bags, Ramza's, Agrias noticed, on the opposite side of the cave. Belle was rummaging through their gear, getting out a small cauldron and ingredients for a soup or stew. Alicia had gathered up some various sized rocks and was busy building a fire wall, as they couldn't dig into the stone to make a fire pit, while Ramza had gone outside to gather what wood he could. Agrias settled her eyes on Belle again, and, as Ramza was walking in, his arms full of firewood, she called out to her, "I never asked Belle, but what was your rank while under the Nanten?" The question had been buzzing around her head like an annoying fly ever since she watched the woman work around the cave; her fatigued mind was to blame for the sudden statement.

The simple question had a complicated reaction; it was no secret that Belle thought poorly of her former allegiance, and only Alicia knew of the true terror through which the chemist had been. It was obvious from that long ago conversation that the Nanten had caused some kind of injustice to Belle, and Agrias thought it might have dealt with her rank. Belle was a competent fighter, and very skilled in her chemistry; with the Hokuten, she probably would have been at least a Sergeant. With this in mind, albeit a vague thought, the holy knight expected Belle to react with harshness or anger toward the Nanten.

Belle, instead, suddenly stiffened up and froze where she knelt down to sort through their foodstuff. She slowly looked up to her new commander, her face a mixture of emotions, as she struggled to keep calm. While her past did not inflict as much distraught as she was used to, the memories were still unpleasant; she could not keep the momentary flash of fear from her eyes as she replied, "…Lieutenant. Technically." Her voice was soft, and the last bit was spoken as if it was an afterthought.

The statement caused a small ruckus; Lavian, who had taken a seat on a rock, her chores done, squeaked a small noise of surprise, falling off her makeshift chair. The knight was startled that Belle outranked her. Alicia started, dropping a rock, causing a dull thunking noise to echo in the cave. Ramza's only reaction to the surprise was a raised eyebrow. Agrias gave a small grunt, saying, "I thought so… You couldn't have been a petty officer; you're too skilled." Agrias paused, thinking for a moment, before she realized that there was still something bugging her about Belle. The holy knight did not catch Alicia's warning look, as she spoke again, voicing the last mystery that was stuck in her brain, "But as a junior officer, you're very… familiar, I guess, with these campsite chores. Why is that?"

It was a valid question; although Belle held the lowest of the true officer ranks, it still was a high position, and with such a responsibility the menial tasks that she had so naturally performed were usually given to the privates or, if no cadets were part of the troop, the lowest ranked soldier. This was not Belle's case, however; as she was already forced to do shameful things with her body under a Nanten officer, they saw no issue with her taking care of everything else. Her rank was in words only, and carried no weight while she was under her cruel tormenters, thus she serviced the campsite in addition to servicing the bastards to whom she was slave. That past shame resurfaced briefly, and the chemist broke the gaze she had with Agrias, hesitating, not wanting to speak.

It was Alicia who rescued Belle again, as the young woman dropped the remainder of the rocks, the cave echoing the crashing sound; all eyes turned to her, all but one pair with confusion, as she squeaked out, once the echo had faded, "Um… um… could we not talk about that?" She almost looked comical, as she waved her arms, successfully grabbing everyone's attention away from the troubled chemist.

Belle gave Alicia a small smile of thanks, the fear she felt replaced with a good feeling, knowing that the young woman cared about her. Belle turned her gaze to Agrias, wanting to see if her new commander would drop the subject; by the look on the holy knight's face, Belle knew that she would have no such luck. Agrias was frowning slightly at Alicia, a question written on her face. As she turned her attention to Belle, the chemist blurted out, "Not now? I'm not… just… can your question wait, ma'am?" Belle needed time to prepare herself. She would not break down in front of her friends; she would never break down again! The question caught her off guard, and she needed time to organize her thoughts.

Agrias stared at the women for a heartbeat; Belle's pleading words were not lost on the holy knight, even though now she was itching for answers. She turned her gaze to Alicia, who was obviously trying to protect the older woman, and by doing so, the young girl must know something she didn't. Agrias did not like being in the dark, especially when it concerned her own troops. A quick glance told her that neither Lavian nor Olivia looked concerned, just confused; the same glance held Ramza's reaction, a small frown on his face. He shifted, hesitating, as if he didn't want to tread to the center of the room, as he did still hold the wood for the night's fire. Agrias doubted he knew what was going on, but he might have figured it out. He was a smart lad. That thought annoyed her; she was smart, too. Why didn't she know? Shaking her head, she replied to the shuffling woman, "We can wait to hear your tale. We already have someone else speaking this evening."

The holy knight turned her gaze back to Ramza, who tensed for a short moment, then relaxed, nodding once, and going over to the half built fire wall, shooing Alicia aside to complete the barrier and start the fire. An awkward atmosphere filled the air as Ramza and Alicia built a small cooking fire; the young woman stayed close by Ramza, not wanting to move from the squire's side, and went out of her way to brush up against him, all the while blushing slightly. Belle quietly joined them, filling the stew pot up with dried meat, potatoes, and various wild greens they had found. It would take a while for the food to cook, and the nights were getting colder, so all six sat around the fire, Ramza flanked by Belle and Alicia with Agrias staring at him from across the fire.

A few minutes passed in silence, all of them silent, most staring at the dancing flames. Agrias's eyes never left the squire, however; she had questions for the man, and she wanted answers. She knew that he could tell her about this Delita character and she knew that he would tell her more about himself. The man was constantly forced into her mind at the most inopportune times; perhaps he would tell her why her eyes were constantly drawn to him. Agrias shook her head slightly, willing away the urge to blush at such a thought, and cleared her throat.

She was interrupted by Ramza, "I'll share my tale with you tonight, so ask your questions."

Agrias, her head cleared with sudden adrenaline and excitement, sat up and leaned forward slightly, and moistened her lips; where to begin? Deciding that the direct approach would be the best, she asked her first question, "How do you know that knight, Delita?"

Ramza chuckled slightly, "Direct and to the point, aren't you Agrias?" He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He would have to tread very carefully here; he truly wanted to share some of his past with these people, these friends of his. It felt like the right thing to do. But he did not want to share all of it. Oh no, they would not feel so chummy with him if they knew about everything. "Delita and I grew up together. We are… or were… like brothers in all but blood."

Prompted to continue by a polite cough from Olivia, of all people, Ramza elaborated, "I met him as a young boy, both him and his younger sister Teta." Everyone's ears perked up at that name, hearing it during the battle, "Sadly, his parents were slain due to the War and the two were left orphans. My family was kind enough to take them in…"

"Your family took in two kids in these times?" It was Lavian who interrupted. This act of generosity was a somewhat foreign concept to the knight; her family always had been, and probably always would be, poor, little better then serfs. To take in two children, having to feed them and clothe them when times were so difficult could only be done if one had the finances to back it, "Do you come from an aristocratic family?"

Ramza mentally kicked himself, "No, of course not!" he laughed off the idea, settling the knight. Due to the Fifty Year War, many of the common folk blamed the aristocrats and royalty for the plague, famine, and bandits that roamed Ivalice. It was unwise to be associated with any family of power. "They were some minor merchants who had some great luck. Cursed with overly large hearts, they found that they could afford two kids in need." The words brought a smile to most faces, and the squire gave a small sigh of relief. Hopefully that would be the biggest lie he told tonight, "I won't bore you with tales of my childhood," - he ignored a moan of disappointment - "but needless to say we grew and found a calling as warriors. When we had seen fourteen summers we were accepted as cadets in an academy in Gariland…"

"The Gariland Military Academy!?" This time it was Alicia who broke the squire's monologue. "That's one of the most elite of the academies in Ivalice! How did you get in? My parents could afford the tuition, but I wasn't accepted." Alicia's family, unlike the older knight's, were rather well off. Merchants that traded in spices, Alicia never knew the pains of going hungry; this did not mean that they were overly wealthy, though, and they were able to live comfortably.

"You know, it will take longer to tell my tale if I'm continuously interrupted." Ramza shot Alicia a playful scowl, causing the girl to squeak and blush. "Yes that academy. I road the wing tales of Delita's scholarship; he is quite skilled with a sword and impressed the senior officers with his fighting capabilities."

"You're not too shabby yourself…" Lavian muttered.

Ramza ignored the comment, but still gave her a small smile, continuing, "The two years of training flew buy, both of us getting high marks and too much praise for overly confident boys." Ramza shook his head; he was so foolish at that age. "They trusted upon us leadership, and we were placed in charge of a squad of cadets." Ramza saw Agrias open her mouth, and he guessed the question, "I was a corporal, Agrias, with Delita as my second in command." The holy knight clamped her mouth shut, blushing, again wondering if the man could read minds. "During our graduation ceremony a band of brigands, under the banner of the Death Corps, attacked, and that was the day we became soldiers." Ramza quieted, gazing at his hands, "…The first day we killed." He remembered that day, vividly; it wasn't him that took the first life, but his friend, Bernard. He remembered the look of shock at everyone's face when they drove their blades into human flesh, the loss of innocence.

Ramza shook his head, clearing out the morbid memories, "The debriefing we got didn't help to quench our egos. Our blades bloodied, we were put into deployment, primarily as reconnaissance against the Death Corps."

"Who are the Death Corps?" Belle asked, taking advantage of a slight pause in Ramza's speech.

The squire turned his gaze to the chemist, at first confused why she wouldn't know of the infamous group; something clicked in his head as he thought about it. _Of course, she was in the Nanten lands, so wouldn't know of them_. Giving the woman a tired grin, he explained, "The Death Corps are a group of anti-aristocratic terrorists. They were deserters in the Fifty Year War and came to place all the blame of their misfortune on the wealthy." Ramza looked wistful, "At first, actually, they weren't so violent; they avoided killings, at least. They were more of a 'rob from the rich, give to the poor' type of operation." His gaze turned sour, "But their code of conduct changed, and they turned to killing any aristocrats they could get their hands on, keeping all the spoils for themselves. After the War, they got even worst, no longer caring who they killed. The horror stories I've heard…" Ramza paused, shaking away more dire thoughts, "…they will not be repeated."

After Belle nodded with understanding, Ramza continued, "It was during one of our first missions we stumbled across a footman of Limberry, named Algus, under attack by the squad of Death Corps we were tailing. We came to his aid, and saved him from slaughter. The boy warned us of the Marquis's capture and begged our aid." Ramza paused; he was treading on shaky ground, "As our mission was complete, we asked our commander for leave to aid the boy; after all, the Marquis was kidnapped by the Death Corp, and so it would be under our best interest to help the fool."

"You didn't like this Algus, did you?" Olivia, speaking for the first time that evening, quietly questioned the squire. "You refer to him as 'boy' and 'fool', and your voice drips with contempt when you utter the name. Why?"

Ramza gazed at the princess agape for a moment, surprised; closing his mouth, he answered, "…You are correct, Princess. At first he was a comrade in arms, a welcomed ally. But his world views were… insulting." He glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on Belle, Lavian, and Alicia pointedly, "He would not… approve… of most of the company tonight. His bigotry was thick, and his attitude painfully superior of those he considered lesser then him." His voice quieted, sorrow seeping into his words, "…and our last meeting was… disastrous…"

Ramza took a moment of silence, "But that comes later in my tale. To make a long story short, with Algus's aid we were able to rescue the Marquis, unharmed. Despite his master's freedom, Algus continued to work with us, despite Delita's disapproval." A frown, and, "I should have listened to him, but, in my arrogance, I did not. The two couldn't get along; Delita, after all, came from a peasant stock and they had very different views on life. Delita is… was… a dreamer, and he believed that if one worked hard enough, he one accomplish anything, even as far as a peasant becoming king. Algus was of mind that those who are powerful are born that way."

Ramza shifted, rearranging himself as he sat, "The breaking point was when the Death Corps, in retaliation to loosing such an important captive as the Marquis, raided Igros, where we were stationed. Besides slaying some guards and stealing some food, they took six people prisoner, including Teta." Ramza swallowed, pausing; he had to face this, he had to relive it and, finally, put this past to rest.

The women around him leaned in, feeling something change in the air. Agrias watched the man intently; all before this was back-story and not all of it true, if she had to guess. The holy knight could tell that most of what he said thus far was a version of the truth, but not all of it. He was still protecting something.

"Suffice to say, this impacted Delita and I immensely; Teta was Delita's only remaining family, and she was like a sister to me. We begged leave to rescue her, and the others." Ramza grimaced, "…We were denied. Our commander gave us a vague reply when we asked, no demanded, what he was going to do." A slight pause, as Ramza turned his gaze away from the women, staring at the ground, clasping and unclasping his hands, "We only let him be once we got the answer we wanted to hear; God, I believed it, too. Neither Delita nor Algus did, though; Delita thought that our commander's intentions were noble, but believed that the troops wouldn't be rallied in time. He wanted to disobey our orders, and go ourselves."

"Algus… said that our commander wouldn't waste the manpower or time to rescue 'insignificant peasants'." Ramza looked up, his face apologetic, "His words, not mine. The fool said that if the troops were to march, their orders would be to wipe the Death Corps off the map… slaughter every living being at their fortress. There was a kind of madness in Algus's eyes… He truly thought that those innocent lives were worth sacrifice. The argument escalated, and almost came to blows; I finally got my head straight and sided with Delita, reasoning that we could get there first and at least scout out the enemy forces. When Algus turned violent, swearing and spitting at me… I couldn't take his attitude anymore and dismissed him from the squad." The squire took a swig of water, refreshing his parched throat, "I should have known he was scheming something when he left without argument."

"So, disobeying direct orders, Delita, I, and my faithful, too faithful, squad left Igros under the cover of night, heading to Fort Zeakden, the fortress of the Corps. We had to approach from the south, as the army was to attack from the west. Sometimes fate is cruel… thinking we would arrive first, even though we were taking a longer route, we got delayed by some Death Corps, twice. Not only did I face the leader of the Death Corps, Wiegraf, I fought him after I… battled… his sister." A heavy swallow, "I had no choice… I didn't know she was _his_ sister… but I should have known she was somebody's sister, or daughter, or mother, maybe. They stopped being warriors, and became people, with lives and names and dreams…"

Agrias watched the man agonize for a few moments, feeling, and fighting, the urge to comfort him. The epiphany Ramza experienced could be death to a warrior; a soldier is, after all, a trained killer, regardless if they use their blade for defense or murder. They are trained to detach themselves from their opponents; it's much easier to kill a nameless enemy. To see beyond that façade, to see the face beneath the helm, to feel the guilt of the people you've killed… Agrias has seen men's sanity snap. But for those who have accepted the disillusion, like herself, greatness could be achieved. The greatest generals of her time, like Balbanes Beoulve or Cidolfas Orlandu, had accepted this reality, and used it to enhance their leadership skills. Ramza was certainly not insane, so perhaps…

Ramza interrupted her thoughts by continuing, "That was the beginning of my… descent. I was too young, too naive, and to full of myself to accept this… reality. I had no time to process, to think, I had to push on, had to rescue Teta. Wiegraf found out about his sister's… death… He took out his anger on us, but somehow we persevered, and drove him away. But this had cost us valuable time; when we finally got to Zeakden, full intent to sneak in and rescue the prisoners, the army was there, positioned on the west fields. An advance group was close to the fortress… when we arrived, we saw Algus, and my… commander there, with a dozen troops, 'negotiating' with a Death Corps lieutenant."

The squire grit his teeth, forcing out, "That… coward had Teta in front of him, using her as a shield!" Ramza's breathing grew haggard, "We arrived in time to hear the Death Corps dog claim Wiegraf had fled north; the commander, wanting the prize of the Corps leader, moved out with the army, but not before ordering Algus to attack." Ramza turned his face to Agrias, his eyes gleaming with anger and sorrow; it took the holy knight's breath away, "That bastard saw us! We were right there, two score paces away, and with a sick grin, the fucker shot Teta! He betrayed us, our commander betrayed us; they had no intent to rescue her or anyone else! Algus killed an innocent girl so he could get a clear shot of the brigand holding her!" He barked a cruel laugh, "And the fool couldn't even do that right. The bolt struck the brigand's shoulder, and, wounded, he dragged himself into the fortress… but the Death Corps were forgotten. Delita went mad with rage… something in him snapped."

"Delita sprinted forward, demanding Algus's blood; it was all too fast, chaotic and frightening. I hesitated… God, why did I hesitate? I should have called him back, or left him, if I had to! They outnumbered us! They were no rag-tag band of thieves, but skilled knights and wizards! We didn't have a chance… no chance…" Ramza had to pause and gather himself; he felt a hand slip into his, and glanced over to Alicia, who had tears in her eyes, and tried to give him support. Giving a weak smile, he gulped, "My rage clouded my decisions, and I ordered the attack. Delita, moving before my command, had already gotten to Algus. As soon as the knights clashed with us, I knew I had made a mistake. I should have ordered a retreat; arrogant. I was arrogant."

"I was responsible for my friend's death. Ber… Bernard was the first to be killed by my folly. He was a skilled knight, but four of the enemy… God, there was so much blood… I ordered Selig to take out the wizards… there were three of them… and he was one man… I should have gone myself, it was a death sentence. I should have sent someone with him, to watch his back. But no… miraculously he was able to down two of them before… the smell of burnt flesh was nauseating. I didn't recognize my friend." Ramza realized he was squeezing Alicia's hand, fighting back his terrors; when he tried to loosen his grip, thinking he was hurting her, she tightened her own. She would not let him be alone for this. "We lived… they lived. Delita finished is duel with Algus, slaying the fool… and Katie saved us with her summon… I don't know how, but we lived the day. I didn't deserve to…"

Ramza continued on, as if in a trance, able to release what was held in, "There was no calm after the storm, though… I heard Fletch wailing in the background… Katie's weeping… The fort suddenly burst into flame… so much fire. I remembered then that Zeakden was a powder keg; literally. They had barrels full stored in their holds. We had to leave, the place was likely to blow… it was my last order. The order I should have given before this mess. I don't know who tried to pull me away… Tatiana? I couldn't go, I saw Delita, kneeling on the steps of the fort, cradling his sister's body. I screamed, telling whoever was holding me to run, and went to my friend, begging him to flee… he ignored me…" Ramza's voice calmed down, and his breathing slowed, "Then there was a flash of white… the sound was deafening. I don't know how I lived, let alone Delita… I was thrown dozens of feet away from the wreckage, blacking out."

"When I came too… debris was everywhere; I saw no sign of Delita or Teta… their bodies buried under rubble. But I did see my friends… only four of them. I couldn't face them, I couldn't… I had failed them, led their loved ones to their death, almost gotten the whole group killed… so I ran." Ramza moved his free hand to cover his face in shame, "I ran… I abandoned them… they needed me… I see that now, but… failure. Such a failure."

Silence. Agrias started to breathe again, realizing she had been holding her breath as Ramza's words mesmerized her. What could be said after such a tale? She didn't know; all she knew is that the feeling to hug the man was overpowering. The holy knight realized that Ramza had put down his defenses and showed the women himself at his weakest. Not only was it a way for Ramza to grieve, but it showed his trust in them, in her. As she watched Alicia hold Ramza's hand and Belle move her own to his shoulder, Agrias felt a surge of jealousy at the two women. The feeling was short lived, however.

Ramza, emotions under control once again, finished his tale, "I wandered aimlessly for about a year or so, living off the land and doing odd jobs. One day I defended myself against a would-be thief; Gafgarion happened to watch the encounter and recruited me on the spot. That was over half a year ago…" He finally faced Agrias, eyes still sad, but a smile on his face, "And now I'm here."

His tale finished, Ramza leaned back, resting upon the stone cave, having unintentionally tensed during his story. The women around him were digesting the tale, faces either pensive or thoughtful. The squire turned to Belle, who still had her hand resting on him, and gave a smile of thanks, receiving a small smile back; he then turned to Alicia, loosening his grip on her hand. He whispered a word of thanks to her and gently rubbed her bruised hand, trying to ease the pain he had caused to her. Alicia blushed lightly in return, but made no move to pull her arm away; she enjoyed the touch.

After a few minutes of silence, Lavian, who was poking at the cook pot, quietly announced the stew was ready; with Olivia's aid, who insisted on helping, the two distributed bowls of the filling and warm food. The meal was eaten slowly, everyone relishing the food, and the warm feeling it put in their guts; supper was not silent, and they made small talk, Ramza obviously trying to lighten the mood. It worked, for the most part; Belle and, oddly enough, Alicia smiled and chuckled at jokes made, but their hearts weren't in them, and they kept on glancing at one another.

Everyone did eventually finish their meal; Ramza, detaching himself from the circle, offered to do the dishes, and before anyone could speak, he had gathered the bowls and pot, sliding outside to the small stream. Lavian, along with, she was sure, everyone else, felt her eyes get heavy, but she forced them open. Belle had promised to tell her tale as well, and she wanted to hear it. Stifling a yawn, she stumbled over to her bedroll and dragged it closer to the fire, taking the time that Ramza was absent to shed her metal skin. Alicia and Belle, knowing a good idea when they see one, followed suite, as did Olivia, minus the removal of armor. By the time Ramza reentered the cave, he saw all but Agrias bundled up in their beddings, spread about near the fire. He couldn't help but smile.

He turned his gaze to Agrias, "I know you'll want to set watch tonight, but I have an idea that may allow all of us to get a good night sleep. I'll need your help, though."

Agrias arched an eyebrow and stood with a nod, following the squire outside. Ramza quickly shared his idea; it was simple and effective, "The cave mouth is rather small, actually, so if we just collect some brush and branches, we can cover the opening. This will block out the firelight and give us safety for the night."

The holy knight nodded her approval; she also had thought of this idea, but didn't know if there were enough plants to correctly conceal them. Ramza showed her otherwise as he led her to a perfect shrub that could be the base of their illusion. Ramza, grinning, took out a small hand axe and went to work, asking her to hold the tree. In short time the two were weaving a barrier of greens in front of the cave. The manual labor seemed to help the squire Agrias noticed as she watched the man work, rather intently; his entire demeanor, and the way he held himself, relaxed.

Work done, Ramza stood, and turned to face Agrias; the two, due to the confines of the cave, were rather close, only a pace apart. The holy knight, her eyes wide with surprise, and a faint red tint on her cheeks, shuffled quickly backwards, giving them both more room. For a moment after she was done moving, Agrias regretted it; while the closeness of the two startled her, it wasn't unpleasant, and she rather enjoyed the mixed scent of juniper and squire. That moment was gone as quick as it came, and the holy knight, feeling the urge to dissolve the silence, gave Ramza a small smile, telling him, "Good work. That'll give us cover for the night, and I know I'm not the only one wanting a restful sleep."

Ramza nodded, not trusting himself to speak; he too enjoyed the sudden closeness of Agrias. Her beauty was different, but no less pleasant, than Belle's, and he found his mind in a slight fog near her. The fog cleared the further away Agrias got, as she walked back to where the rest lay. He watched her disappear around a bend, giving him time to relive the moment; the reaction he felt near Agrias was thrilling and frightening at once, but overall quite pleasant. In the short time he had spent with these women he found that he honestly cared, quite deeply, he admitted to himself, for them; Agrias was different, though. He had never felt that strange… connection before. The squire shook his head and cleared his thoughts, filing all this confusion away to deal with another time. Right now he would just enjoy the time he had with his new friends. Ramza waited another minute, just in case Agrias need time to change, and entered the main chamber; the four women were as they were before and Agrias had only removed her heavy armor, keeping the light padding on for the night. Flashing the five a smile, he removed his own armor, carefully placing each piece on the ground.

Thinking his job done, all pieces of metal plating removed and stacked on the ground, Ramza moved to take his seat when Olivia sniffed the air pointedly, giving the man a hard look, "You stink." Lavian and Alicia laughed at the princess's blunt words; Olivia herself ignored them, and Ramza's arched eyebrow, "At least change that shirt of yours." Olivia didn't ask the squire; it was an order.

Ramza sighed, but his reply was respectful, "At once, m'lady." Turning back to his pack, he quickly stripped himself from the shirt, ignoring Lavian's whistle, and the accompanying giggles, changing into his only clean one. As he stared down at the dirty one, he realized why he was such an offense to Olivia; this shirt was disgusting. Stained with blood, rust, and sweat by the day's activities, he must have hurt the princess's delicate senses. With a small chuckle, he balled up the shirt and stuffed it at the bottom of his pack; heaven forbid the smell leak out.

Ramza approached the fire again with another sniff from Olivia; this time she graced him with one of her smiles, "Much better!"

Lavian laughed at the squire's wry grin, "It's only taken the Princess a few days to get you under reigns, eh Ramza?"

There were some small laughs at the squire's expense as he finally settled down; he gave the knight a quick glance, "Actually, I am just unable to deny the request of a beautiful woman, Lavian." A small smirk danced on his lips, his unexpected reply causing the woman to sputter, blushing slightly. Olivia mimicked the older woman, a blush of her own covering her face at the complement.

Alicia giggled, "Well played, Ramza." It was usually the knight that flustered the squire, and Alicia was tickled that the tides had turned. She also took Ramza's words and tucked them away for later, knowing they would be handy for her.

Agrias felt her own stomach flutter at Ramza's words; she wasn't sure if it was caused by the fact that the mercenary had the audacity to _flirt_ with the princess or for some other hidden reason. Regardless, there was still some serious business at hand, and time for the light play was over. The glare she shot at Ramza was staggered by the whimsical wink he retaliated with, his eyes gleaming with mischief; feeling her own face heat, she cleared her throat, "Settle down children," She turned to face Belle, who had remained silent the entire time, only chuckling slightly at the humor, "Are you ready now, Belle?"

The slightly merry atmosphere died as they all turned to the older chemist, Alicia going so far as to slide next to her, holding one of her hands. Belle swallowed hard, glancing, first, to Alicia, giving her a weak grin of gratitude, and then turning to the rest, all faces curious. In addition to the curiosity, both Agrias's and Ramza's eyes held a shadow of foreboding, as if they had a hint of what her troubles were. Suddenly, the thought of them, of him, knowing what she had been through, how _damaged_ she was, was frightening. She hesitated a moment longer; would he think lesser of her? Would they abandon her? A gentle hand rubbed her arm, and she siphoned strength from Alicia's soothing. One more swallow, a deep breath, and she began her tale.

Her tale was not as long as Ramza's, and Belle spoke in a carefully controlled monotone, refusing to succumb to the reopened wounds, but it was just as sad as the squire's. Belle didn't go into great detail of what had happened to her; the particulars of the degrading acts she had been forced to perform would be a secret she took to the grave. She told them the history of the Sisterhood, and of the lies Goltana wove; she told them about her abuse at the hands of the Nanten men. She didn't truly know if every other one of her sisters went through what she did, perhaps Jacob, curse his name, took advantage of her naivety; she could easily see Goltana masterminding this kind of betrayal and atrocity, however. She spoke of how she shared this to Alicia, bonding the two women; she made no mention of their conversation, or the words the young girls spoke.

All but Alicia, who already knew the story, bristled with anger at the Nanten, and hearts ached with sorrow for Belle; Lavian was shaken to her core at the woman's words. How could she go on after all that was done? The knight, honestly, did not know if she would be able to cope with the violence that was done to Belle. Lavian was no innocent, having had a few lovers in the past, but the thought of something so intimate being forced upon a person… the knight shuddered, and reached over to grasp Belle's arm, whispering, "I'd be blessed if I had an eighth of your strength." Lavian wanted Belle to know how strong she was.

To Ramza, Belle's tale fit pieces into place; while he felt intense fury at the men who had cause so much pain to Belle, he contained the ugly feeling, knowing that it was self damning. He instead focused on the pride he had for Belle, how she was trying and doing well to move on; this wouldn't mean he would lighten his blows against any Nanten that cross his path. Beyond that primal fury, much of Belle's actions now made sense; the fear she expressed when they first met, not at him, but at a knight in her own squad, the hesitation and reluctance she had around him, the fear she had at the inn. It was all her coping with her past, and he was shamed to admit she had done it much better then him. She, at least, didn't run. Ramza would prove that there are some good men in the world she could trust again.

Belle, now quiet, gave a small smile, watching her friends; none of them had said anything to drive her off. None of them looked at her with disgust; instead she saw nothing but kindness and care on their faces, Lavian holding her arm tenderly. Belle almost wanted to cry with relief. They knew, but doubts still lingered in her head. The worries were dismissed, for the moment, by Agrias.

"There are no words to respond to what happened to you, Belle," Agrias knew some of the terror the chemist had gone through, having a similar experience herself; she had not been violated, but Agrias knew the horrible feeling of being trapped. "I can only give my greatest sympathies. You are safe, from that at least, now. We are in constant danger of harm, but I know that I," Agrias glanced around, meeting Ramza's fierce gaze, "and others will protect you as best we can." The holy knight returned the chemist's smile, "That's enough excitement for the night. Everyone get some rest, this will be the last full night you'll get for a while. We have many miles to cross to get to safety."

Everyone nodded, and with a few wipes of eyes, they started to bed down; Ramza, giving Agrias a soft smile, nodded good night, and dragged his bedroll to the mouth of the exit. Agrias watched him in the dying light; where he was, if anything happened to stumble upon them, he would be their first line of defense, probably using his body as a shield to give them time to arm themselves. That thought comforted her; she felt safer with Ramza there. Lying back, she settled herself; Olivia, who was next to her, cuddled closer, and Agrias had to shift to accommodate her. It was a common thing for the princess to do, she seemed to fear being alone; sometimes it was Lavian or Alicia, but usually Agrias was Olivia's makeshift pillow. Warm, full, and with a cozy feeling of security, Agrias drifted to sleep.


	13. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 12

**Author Notes:** My goodness, another chapter. I'm almost past the crust in the plot sandwich, so we'll be getting into the deeper stuff soon.

There's really not much to say about this chapter, or the comments from last; I'm happy those who read it enjoyed it, and am pleased that some even took the time to review.

I do hope you'll like this one as well.

**

* * *

**

After four long and tiring days, Agrias gave a small sigh of relief at the distant sight of Zaland Fort City's outer walls; within a few hours they would all be within the safe confines of the city, and the holy knight looked forward to a little rest. She turned to look at her friends behind her, giving a soft smile. Although the four days were not the easiest of her life, she found them to be most… enjoyable. She paused to ponder why it felt so carefree; each day had its own dangers, usually in the form of a volatile group of monsters, and these attacks were nothing to take lightly. Granted, usually they consisted of either a group of clan-less goblins or wild panthers and chocobos, but the battles were still intense, everyone carrying a few new scars from the scuffles. She had the Princess back and safe, lifting a huge weight off her shoulders. She had to conclude, however, that the center of this jovial aura was Ramza.

He made it no secret that he was in a good mood; after the first night, riddled with angst and guilt, Ramza awoke the morning almost a new man. While he did little to change his daily routine, the entire atmosphere was different, and it affected the women around him. Agrias, easily the most serious of the group, had found herself smiling more and more in his presence, sometimes sharing in his jokes and antics. The other women also bonded splendidly with him, but none more so then Lavian; the two shared the same focused mindset when they were in battle, but turned into light pranksters when the threat of danger no longer lingered in the air.

Lavian's curious ability had always filled Agrias with pride; it was rare to find someone who would willingly throw themselves into battle with such abandon as the knight then turn around and tell a dirty joke once the fighting stopped. Ramza, this new Ramza, was like the brother Lavian never had; now paired together, the duo had sparked some friendly mischief in the evenings, at camp. The group had come to anticipate the next prank either one would pull; sometimes the two worked together, usually with Agrias as the victim, much to the delight of Olivia; and sometimes they faced off against each other, enlisting the help of one of the other women, also usually Agrias, who wanted revenge for the previous prank. In this way they all grew closer together, strengthening the bond within the group; Agrias was quite pleased with this.

Agrias smiled over at Ramza, who was assisting Alicia up the rocky hill they were on, even though the squire probably needed more help then the young woman; Ramza's left arm was lightly wrapped, fitted in a loose sling. In their previous fight, only hours before, Ramza had taken a massive hit from an enraged goblin; the creature, bigger and stronger then normal, had actually gone after the holy knight, but the squire had intercepted the attack, jumping in front of Agrias, taking the blow to his shield-less shield arm, which shattered his bones. The move, although foolish, had allowed Ramza a quick counter attack as he fell, stabbing at the goblin's legs, tripping the foe, enabling Agrias to land a killing blow, over Ramza, to the defenseless monster. Even though Agrias had healed the wound, the strain and soreness were still aching in his bones and flesh; Ramza was quite familiar with and used to the feeling.

Although Ramza had actually been ordered to take care of the lone panther that had attacked them with the goblins, Agrias didn't give him a very harsh scolding for disobeying her command; she had found the act slightly insulting, but also charming and endearing in a way, so she was too flustered to give him a proper ear-boxing. After the holy knight finished, Ramza had calmly pointed out the slain panther a few feet away, calmly advising her that, technically, he disobeyed no order, and Agrias was humble enough to apologize; it wasn't the first time they had words after a battle. Their vocal duels were never full of anger, but, for Agrias, mild annoyance and, for Ramza, slight amusement. During every physical fight Ramza had found a way to alter or change Agrias's commands slightly, usually with him acting slightly before everyone else to draw the monster's attention to him or to lead his designated target closer to someone else so he could be able to absorb hits for the women. Other than these modifications, as he usually called it, both Ramza and Belle had no issues with her command.

They had to adjust their fighting style once, when Alicia finally started the process of wielding black magic, trading her light armor and dagger for robes and rod, but otherwise they all worked well as a team. It was a combination of everyone's trust in one another, the superb leadership skills of Agrias, and the sometimes recklessness of Ramza that brought them through the daily struggles, with only Ramza taking heavy damage. Ramza never complained; he no longer fought with a cold face. The squire had something to fight for again, the safety and care of his friends, and he was willing to suffer any amount of damage if he could prevent harm upon any of them. It was a delicate balancing act the squire played, as he certainly didn't want to coddle the woman. They were fierce fighters, and knew the risks they took; even though he knew this, he still cringed every time someone else took a hit. He knew he was being overly protective, but couldn't really help it; these women were the first true friends he had in years, thus their safety came first. To Ramza, it was as simple as that. He always had, and always would, guard his friends first, regardless of gender.

The fact that they were women, something that never slipped his mind, ever, certainly did add an extra layer to his instinct to shelter them. His was raised to honor and protect women and children above all else, something his late father had taught him. It was an archaic code, when Knighthood meant something important and people had once acted with respect and honor. Those days were long over; now anyone with a sword and ego could call himself a Knight, and his aversion to harm women or to see women harmed would probably bite him in the butt one day. He hadn't heard any serious complaints of his actions thus far, just some friendly squabbling with Agrias, so he would continue his vigil.

It was a few hours past noon when the six of them walked through the northern gates of Zaland. Agrias, watching with amusement as Alicia poked some fun at Ramza, who had taken his wrappings off minutes ago, couldn't wait to find a good inn for the day. The holy knight had already made plans with her friends; they would get a large room and rest a few hours, and then go out into town to gather any information they could about the current status and rumors of Lionel. At nightfall everyone would regroup and the women, hopefully, would enjoy a luxurious bath. It was safe to say everyone was looking forward to the latest scheduled activity.

What Agrias had not planned for was the complete lack of people as they walked through the gate. No one walked the streets, no children played in the alleys, and no women stood on porches, drying their daily wash.

"Where is everybody?" Lavian asked, looking around the quiet street, hand clasped on her sword.

Agrias shrugged, "I don't know; maybe there is a festival or performers today?"

Alicia piped up, "Maybe, but shouldn't there be, I don't know, _someone_ around?"

"Well perhaps-," Belle's words were lost as an ear-bleeding _**CRACK**_ ripped through the air. All but Boco froze at the noise; the chocobo, more frightened then he had ever been before, started to trample the ground, his eyes becoming panicked. Agrias, shaking off her stupor, knew that the bird was preparing to bolt and acted quickly, lurching towards Boco and grasping his reigns. Ramza was a step behind the holy knight, rushing to Olivia's side, steadying the woman, who had given a short shriek of surprise at Boco's sudden movements. The girl instinctively grasped onto the squire's strong shoulder for support as the bird finally quieted under Agrias's gentle touch.

With Boco calmed, Ramza turned his head upwards to Olivia, quietly asking her, "Are you ok, M'lady?"

Olivia nodded, "I'm fine Ramza, just a little startled." As she stared at the man she realized her hand had lingered on him and withdrew it with a light blush, hoping he had not noticed.

Ramza had not, as he was busy scanning the street, trying to pinpoint where this possible threat was coming from. For a few seconds the street remained silent, and then a loud clomping of boots was heard approaching them. The squire gave a quick glance to Agrias, who nodded in return, and dropped his backpack with a flick. Hopefully no one would fight today, but if it came to a scuffle Ramza did not want to be weighed down by his pack. He gave a quick grin as he saw Agrias and the other women do the same, Lavian going as far as to pull out her blade.

With Boco quieted and Olivia secure, Ramza took a few steps forward; he had thought he had seen movement in an alley across the street. The squire gave a nod in the alley's direction just as his eyes confirmed his earlier sight; at the crossroads ahead of him he saw a man dressed in a light yellow leather jerkin with blue overalls, bags and pouches arranged half-hazardly around his waist, back, and legs, sprint from the alley Ramza had pointed out. Darting across the street, he never slowed as he raced towards the wall of a house; just before impact, and with a grunt and heave, the man jumped up, grabbing the roof of the house, cursing as he pulled himself up. He turned, completely ignoring the surprised group of women, and Ramza, to face the alley he had just come from, yelling, "What do you want from me?"

As the words left the young man's lips, eight figures burst from the passageway, coming to a halt, also ignoring Agrias and her soldiers; one of them, a knight, called back out, "Don't play dumb with us, boy! You know perfectly well what treasure you hold. Now give us the holy stone, Mustadio, or we'll carve its worth out of your father's hide!"

The man, Mustadio, trembled with fury, "If you lay a finger on my father, Rudvich will never see the stone!" His hands reached to his hip, pulling out a funny looking metal item, about the size of a long dagger, but bent awkwardly, pointing its round end at the knight, "Now back off! Go tell your master!"

A wizard stepped forward, his cool voice drifting through the air, "Fool of a boy! It matters not that you have that confounded contraption, we outnumber you! If you surrender we'll let you walk away with your life!"

Ramza watched Mustadio hesitate, obviously out of options; the squire frowned. The man was dead set on keeping this "holy stone", whatever it may be. An old thought bubbled in Ramza's head; his sister had always said that fate either put you in the right spot at the right time, or the wrong spot at the wrong time. That man, Mustadio, had no chance against the eight foes that had come from the ally. A month ago he would have turned his back and walked away. Ramza felt that, perhaps, he had stumbled into the first part of his sister's riddle; with Agrias's and Ramza's help, Mustadio could live the day.

"It seems those ruffians are after that man." Agrias interrupted Ramza's thoughts, watching, not Mustadio, but the squire, her eyes drilling into his. Ramza turned to meet her gaze, waiting for more, a word of attack, or a word of withdrawal. Only silence came from the holy knight, her eyes never leaving his. She wanted him to decide the man's fate.

Ramza turned his gaze again to the brigands; they all wore a tabard with a distinct insignia on it. The design had markings that allied the men to some kind of thieving or trading guild, if he correctly remembered Tatiana's lessons, although he could not place his finger on what guild. They were probably decently skilled and armed, but also, like most bullies, cowards. Ramza did a quick body count; three were knights, two archers and wizards, and one priest. The healer would die first.

"No more standing idle; we can't just sit back and watch him die." Ramza turned to Agrias, stating his words firmly.

Agrias, to Ramza's surprise, grinned at the man, saying, "I would have been disappointed if you had said otherwise." Chuckling at the squire's expression, Agrias turned to her warriors, preparing to decide who would hang back to protect Olivia.

She was spared the decision when Belle called to her, "I'll guard the Princess."

Agrias nodded, drew her weapon, readied her shield, and turned to Ramza, "We got your back."

With a quick smile, Ramza sprinted a few steps forward, knowing that Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian were right behind him. He called out, "Oi! What's all this then?"

There was a massive shift of eyes and heads as Mustadio and his foes realized they had an audience. The knight swore; there was only to be one of them, not seven! The knight glared at the new group and gave a mental recount; it looked as if only four of them were fighters, the other two, one atop a chocobo, were hanging back. If it was five against eight, they should have no trouble. Shifting slightly, so he was facing the four, the knight called back, "What's it to you? I would recommend you walk away, stranger, else be grouped up with that dead man over there."

Ramza looked up to Mustadio, who was staring at him, a curious look on his face, and called back, "Perhaps we already are." Giving the shocked knight a grin, twirling his sword, he continued, "And maybe it should be you who should walk away. No blood need be spilt today."

The knight snarled with anger, "The only blood that will stain the street will be your own!"

With no other warning Ramza sprinted forward, his friends hot on his heels. He heard Agrias call out some orders, including one to him, "Take out the wizards!" Ramza shook his head; no, that wouldn't do. The priest needed to be killed first; it would shake the brigand's courage to find their healer down. Knowing he'd get an earful afterwards, he ignored his commander's order; his eyes focused on the priest out back, who was staring confidently back, a small sneer on his lips. The priest knew he was safe; after all, Ramza had three armor clad knights and two wizards to get through.

Agrias, running side by side with Ramza and Lavian, gave a quick order for Alicia to support in any way she could with her magic, and gave a grim nod to Lavian; the two women would break upon the knights and try to give Ramza the opening he needed to get to the wizards. The archers were of little concern; not only were they spaced apart from the rest, almost in a flanking position, Agrias could use her foes as shields against their arrows. Agrias was confident that the archers would stay, primarily, out of the fight, with Alicia probably casting her magic upon them. The holy knight didn't plan on Mustadio to assist in any way, and just hoped that if he did help he wouldn't cause too much trouble. Moments before the two sides impacted, Agrias felt a slight breeze next to her; taking a glance, she saw Ramza's focused face staring beyond the wall of steel ahead, to something beyond, the air around his feet blowing peculiarly, causing his hair to wave about. Just as Agrias's shield intercepted a blade, Ramza, with a mighty yell, bunched his legs and hurled himself forcefully into the air. Air bellowed from beneath the squire, further propelling the man skyward.

Time seemed to pause as everyone's eyes followed the squire gracefully leap over the startled heads of the knights, past the shocked wizards, and land, heavily, right on top of the priest, causing both to crumple to the floor.

"He's a bloody Lancer?" Lavian cried aloud, ducking a shaky slash from a knight, twisting her blade upward and feeling it bite into the man.

Agrias only grunted back to her friend, taking advantage of the enemy knight's surprise to bash his face with her shield, causing him to cry and stumble, leaving him open to a stab through his side. The increasingly common question she had asked herself many times since traveling with the squire buzzed in her head, _What else could Ramza do?_

Ramza stood up, slightly dazed; it had been a long time since he had jumped like that, and blamed his lack of practice for his very undignified landing. It worked, though; the priest was still on the ground, trying to clear his head of his stupor. Ramza gave the priest no such time, though. With a quick thrust, the squire neatly pierced the holy man through the chest, killing him instantly. Acting on instinct, he quickly rolled to the side, avoiding two arrows that were where he had been; unfortunately he could not dodge the prickly feeling he got on his neck. Standing and twisting, he watched the two wizards, murder glowing in their eyes, finish their chant. Ramza knew he would not be able to get to them in time, but sprinted forward anyway. He was steps away from one of the wizards when the air around him crackled and chilled menacingly. Bracing himself, he still screamed when both a Thunder and Ice spell ripped into him.

Alicia, who had watched Ramza leap with wonder, had seen the wizards chant; she was inexperienced, and knew that she would not be able to get her own spell off before theirs but chanted regardless, hoping she would be fast enough. An instant before her spell was completed Alicia felt the magic in the air as the wizards finished their own, the deadly spells striking Ramza. Her heart almost stopped as smoke from the two elements hid the squire; she was able to breathe again once she saw Ramza, standing but staggered, stumble out of the smoke, closing the distance to one of the wizards. Alicia's eyes gleamed, and she finished her own spell, flicking her hand at the second wizard, causing him to burst into flame. Without pause she immediately started to chant again; she knew that her spell did not kill the man and wanted to finish him off before he could cast again.

Lavian smelled the stench of burnt flesh in the air, and was proud of her young friend. Their knight training had bolstered her concentration, and to be able to cast a spell under pressure when just learning the craft complimented Alicia's determination. Lavian knew now that the young wizard would become a higher priority target, and the knight attacked her opponent with vigor. While she was confident that she and Agrias would be able to hold the knights at bay, the archers were still an unknown risk; would they continue to pepper Ramza, who had slain their priest, or would they turn their arrows to the revealed caster?

The knight's internal question was soon answered, as the archers took aim at the person Lavian had hoped they would overlook. Alicia, completely immersed in her spell, was unable to dodge the arrows; Lavian, twisting suddenly, was able to deflect one, at the cost of a heavy blow to her leg, of which her armor absorbed some. The second one was too quick for the knight, and pierced Alicia in the chest, right below her right breast. Standing true, Alicia was able to complete her spell, sending a streak of lightning into a wizard, killing the man, who was unable to finish his own spell. No longer caressing the raw power of magic, Alicia felt the intense pain at once, crying out. Lavian went berserk; her friend's wound was painful and life threatening. Dropping all pretenses of defense, Lavian bullied forward, abandoning grace for brute strength. Although physically stronger, the enemy knight was overwhelmed by Lavian's attacks, and was killed with a brutal stab through his chest, Lavian's blade puncturing the man's chest piece.

One of the archers, Reina, seeing her prey stumbling, gave a quick glance at Shelly, the other archer; there was an unspoken agreement. Both took aim at Alicia, who had sunk to her knees, eyes clenched with pain. Before their strings were loosed, a loud _**CRACK**_, followed again by a second _**CRACK**_ tore through the clashing of steel. The archer cried as she felt her arm go numb, blood spurting from a deceptively small hole in her upper arm, midway between her shoulder and elbow. She heard Shelly mimic her cry, and glanced over though a pain-filled haze to see the same had happened to her companion. Both archers, an arm apiece now useless, dropped their bows. Shelly, who had never dealt with pain very well, dropped to the ground, curling up, sobbing in agony. Reina was no fool; who knew what these people would do to her if captured? With a last look at her companions, the archer shuffled away, ducking through a doorway, moving through a house, and disappearing down an alley.

Alicia was in a world of pain; no longer protected by her heavy mail, this was the first serious wound she had ever suffered. The arrow bit deep, passing entirely though her chest to stick out her back almost an inch, damaging all the internal organs that lay in its way. The wizard found breathing becoming difficult, and slowly toppled, first to her knees, and then onto her side. She only vaguely heard the loud cracking sounds drifting above her; all she knew was pain and fear. Her vision dimmed as she almost blacked out. In a sudden moment, her eyes cleared, as more pain blossomed on her back; looking about wildly, she saw Belle, who, at the sight of Alicia falling, rushed forward, leaving the princess in Boco's care. The chemist, working quickly, but with steady hands, had broken off the tip of the arrow, and yanked the shaft out of Alicia. Nothing mattered more in the world to Belle right now then Alicia; pulling out her rarest chemical item, an elixir, the chemist gently sprinkled some of the powerful potion onto Alicia's wound before tipping the bottle down the wizard's throat.

The effects of the tonic were immediate; Alicia felt her wounds heal and the sweet taste of air rush into her collapsed lung. Accepting Belle's hand, both women stood to survey the battle.

The fight was effectively over; Ramza had cut down the last wizard before he could finish his spell. Lavian and Agrias, no longer out numbered, slew one knight and accepted the last's surrender when he threw down his weapon and pleaded for his life. One of the archers had fled the scene, leaving behind only her bow, and the second archer still lay collapsed on the ground. Lavian, wiping her blade clean with a rag, hurried over to Alicia; giving the girl a once over, the knight gave a sigh of relief, and pulled her into a quick hug. Lavian turned as she heard a soft crash behind her; the man, Mustadio, lay in a small pile, having fallen of the roof when he was trying to climb down. He stood quickly, embarrassed, but still flashed the women a smile and wink before walking over to Agrias, whom he recognized as a commander. As he moved, Lavian's eyes followed.

The holy knight had finished binding the captured knight's hands, ordering the man to remain lying down. She then turned to the approaching man, asking him, "You alright?"

Mustadio nodded, thrusting out his arm, "Yea, thanks to all of you! Name's Mustadio, mechanic extraordinaire."

Agrias quirked her eyebrow, "A pleasure; I'm Agrias. The knight staring at you, still, is Lavian," Agrias smirked when she saw Lavian's face redden; Agrias had a keen eye, and noticed how the knight's eyes followed the young man, "and the young wizard next to her is Alicia." Agrias gave Belle a frown, "That's Belle, our chemist, and she should be standing guard elsewhere," Belle glared back at her, standing firmly; she had no shame in her decision, "but, as she did save Alicia's life, I'll overlook her misplacement." Agrias and Belle shared a smile; both knew that Olivia was safe on Boco, as the rogues wanted Mustadio, not the princess. Agrias looked around, spotting Ramza kneeling next to the wounded archer, speaking to her quietly, "And over there is Ramza." Turning her gaze back to Mustadio, she finished, "And before we talk further, we should probably leave the streets."

Mustadio nodded, saying, "I know a place where we can hold up, that can fit us all and a chocobo." Mustadio was no idiot, and could tell that the woman seated upon the chocobo were part of this rag-tag group. More so, he knew that she must be important in some way, perhaps a noble; Agrias had carefully avoided introducing her.

As the holy knight and mechanic spoke, Ramza took a moment to catch his breath, cleaning his sword on the robes of a fallen wizard, grunting as he moved. He was hurt; not in any kind of critical condition, he could walk after all, but he had felt better days. Ramza shrugged off the pain; he was sure that, once Agrias was done talking with Mustadio, he would feel the soothing effect of her white magic. Seeing as no one had approached the incapacitated archer, the squire took it upon himself to apprehend their captive. She was only a dozen feet away, so in short time Ramza found himself staring down at the sobbing woman; the first thing he noticed was the small pool of blood soaking the woman's shirt. Concerned, he quickly knelt, reaching out to grasp at the archer's wounded arm.

Sensing the presence of the squire, and feeling the light brush of his fingers, Shelly gave a stuttering gasp, trying to pull away from the man, "St-tay away from me!"

Ramza ignored her demand, replying, "I'm not going to hurt you. Let me look at your wound." Brushing away her hand, Ramza gently cradled her elbow, looking at the wound. The squire was impressed; the wound was accurately placed to cause the most amount of pain while avoiding major injury. The blood was superficial; no major vein was struck. Below the elbow was probably numb, but the archer's upper arm probably felt like it was attacked by a nest of angry hornets. Ramza let his other hand carefully probe the wound and area around it; by the hiss of pain the woman gave, the bone was probably shattered. Ramza nodded; very impressive in deed. Ramza was curios to know the weapon that created such a peculiar wound.

Eyes falling on the archer's, Ramza told her, "The wound's not critical; let me patch you up." not waiting for a reply, the squire started to ruffle around his pouches, looking for a potion. His search was in vain; after the first few potion-less pouches, Ramza realized he had left all of his chemical items in his backpack, and his backpack was on the other side of the impromptu battlefield. The squire toyed with the thought of leaving the woman and getting his pack, but threw out that idea when he heard her sob in pain again. Sighing heavily, he took a mental calculation of his own health; it'd hurt, but he'd get over it.

Settling himself, he lightly cupped her arm in his hands; Shelly, not knowing what he was doing, protested again, struggling lightly, "Let go! Stop! Don't hurt me!"

Concentrating, Ramza muttered out to her, "If it was my intention to hurt you, you would have already been hurt. Now hush." Feeling her still herself with no more protests, Ramza built up some undefined energy, and poured it into the wound. Like those many weeks ago, the squire wished the wound to heal, and it did. Shelly gasped as the intense pain melted away, feeling rushing back into her fingertips, the blood stained puncture closing to form new skin. As Shelly felt the pain dissipate, Ramza felt it intensify; like always when he used this unique gift, Ramza took part of the wound onto him. He felt a warm wetness on his arm as his flesh opened and his bone chipped; he felt a mild numbness in his forearm and a tingling, like being pricked with needles, in his hand.

His magic complete, Ramza clenched his slightly senseless hand, forcing it to wake up. Shelly had stopped crying, but still looked to Ramza with a mixture of suspicion and confusion. Once the pins stopped stabbing his arm, Ramza stood, offering Shelly his unwounded hand, saying, "You're our prisoner for the time being. Name's Ramza; behave and you won't be hurt – you have my word." Ramza waited for the archer to nod, and after she did, he continued, "Good. Let's head over to my commander, Agrias, and we'll decide what to do with you."

Shelly nodded glumly, and started to walk to the woman Ramza had pointed out. She was thankful for the help that he had given her, and would follow his orders for the time being, but she still didn't trust him. Knowing that it was best to lay low and wait, Shelly put aside any plans for escape; for now.

The squire and his captive joined Agrias just as Mustadio was finished explaining a safe house about which he knew. Ramza took a moment to further study the man; he was young, as old or perhaps a few years older then the squire, but the mechanic had a restless energy around him, making him seem younger, like a child. His face was boyish, without a trace of fuzz, and his shoulder-length blond hair was tied back. Short, probably a few inches shorter then Lavian, who stood at five and a half feet, Mustadio had the build of a scholar, not a warrior. His face was energetic, and his eyes spoke of great intelligence.

As Ramza was investigating Mustadio, Agrias was watching the squire; he was wounded, to no one's surprise. Ramza did, after all, shake off two magical attacks; the holy knight did not recall him being cut though, so she was confused by the lightly bloodstained arm. Agrias caught Ramza's eye, giving his arm a pointed glance; Ramza shrugged, "Archer's arm was wounded."

It took only a moment for Agrias to understand Ramza's words; she remembered when he had healed Lavian with some unknown magic, and how in doing so he had suffered the knight's wound. She gave a small frown and closed the distance between the two, reaching a hand out to grasp his arm, muttering, "Fool. You could have waited for Belle's or my help." As she finished speaking she softly cast a healing spell.

Ramza gave a smile, partly from the soothing magic that restored his body, but mostly from Agrias's words; while chiding, they were soft. "I thought we were in a hurry. Besides, she wouldn't stop crying."

Agrias, her spell complete, hesitated a moment, staring at Ramza, "You and I are going to sit down one day and have a good talk about what else you've neglected to tell me you can do."

Ramza shrugged, "I'll save you time; a little of everything, really." The look on Agrias's face told the squire that this was not the end of the conversation, so he switched it, "So I heard something about a safe house. Will the prisoners be accompanying us?"

Agrias scowled at the squire, "This isn't done, Lugria. Yes, Mustadio knows of a place we can lay low for a few hours. But we should move quickly, before guards show up."

"Don't bother rushing." Shelly spoke, causing everyone's attention to turn to her. Ignoring a "Quiet!" from the prone knight, she continued, "Fuck off, Devon. It helps us none by keeping our mouths shut."

"Explain," barked Agrias.

The archer shrugged, "No one will be sticking their noses out on this street today, and the guards have been paid off to patrol the southern section. We spent a lot of cash to hunt you down, boy," she glanced at Mustadio.

"Who do you work for?" asked Ramza.

Mustadio answered, "They are thugs for the Bart Company."

Agrias looked surprised, "Bart Company? Founded by Bart Rudvich, the importer?"

The mechanic nodded, "Yes, but they aren't just traders; the Company is a criminal syndicate that has its grubby hands into everything from smuggling to slavery." Mustadio glared at Shelly, "And we can add kidnapping to that list. Where is my father!?" The mechanic took an aggressive step toward the archer, fist clenched.

"Calm yourself, Mustadio." Ramza took a half step forward, holding out a hand to block the man, shielding the archer. This gesture was not lost on the party at large.

Shelly spoke from behind Ramza, "Your father is still at Gaug, boy." She turned to Agrias, "That's all we know. Listen, as much as a pleasure this has been, I'd like to leave this town immediately. Rudvich is not kind to failure; not even Devon down there is stupid enough to show his face to the fat fuck. As far as I care, I died here today."

Ramza turned, looking at Shelly with amusement, "So one minute you're bawling like a babe and the next swearing like a sailor?"

The archer flushed red and she suddenly became interested in her feet, her bravado disappearing. Shifting, she muttered, "I don't deal well with pain." She glanced up at Ramza, and, at the sight of his wide grin, a smirk that was barely containing laughter, she bristled, "I don't have to deal with your ridicule! Let us go!"

Agrias ignored the banter between the two, and chewed her lip, thinking; she certainly didn't want to drag these two around with her and turning them in to the sheriff was out of the question, as he was probably in the Bart Company's pocket. She was no murderer, and would not kill them in cold blood. "Agreed; leave your weapons and get out of my sight. Take this one with you," she lightly kicked the knight at her feet.

Shelly nodded, drawing and dropping two hidden daggers, then walking over to Devon, yanking him up. Lavian, still eyeing the two, deftly cut the binding around the knight's hands; Devon said nothing, just glared at everyone while he dropped a single dagger, his sword already taken away. Without a word the two ran out the northern gate, Shelly continuing north once past the exit, while Devon turned east, both quickly lost to sight.

The party only watched until they had disappeared out the gates before turning back to the matter at hand. Ramza spoke up first, "Why don't we scavenge what we can from these thugs and then head to that house?" He looked around and noticed that Olivia had moved closer to the group, but not quite next to everyone else, hanging back idly watching her surroundings, "I'm guessing we're still going to find an inn for the night before heading to Lionel to see the Cardinal?" Agrias nodded. "Then I'll go get our dropped packs and make sure the Princess is ready to go, alright?"

"P-princess?" Mustadio asked weakly, eyes widening at Ramza's words.

Agrias sighed heavily and gave Ramza a glare; she didn't want to share that tidbit of information with Mustadio yet. Ramza gave a small, apologetic grin, "Oops?" Before he could get yelled at, he scurried away, first going to the discarded bags, hefting them all on his broad shoulder, and then moving over to Olivia, asking, with a smile, "Everything okay, Princess?"

Olivia gave a small smile down at the man, "I'm quite fine, Ramza; Boco here," she pet the bird's head affectionately, "was ready to whisk me away at any moment." She glanced at Ramza critically, "I must say, squire, your fighting techniques certainly are… varied."

Ramza grinned, "Variety is the spice of life, M'lady." Olivia chuckled lightly as Ramza grasped Boco's reins, "We're heading to a safe house for the time being, so we can gather supplies and speak with Mustadio."

Olivia nodded contently and was led to the others; when they had arrived Lavian, Belle, and Alicia had already taken anything useful from the slain foes and dragged them aside, piling the bodies into an alley. Less then a half hour later, all seven, eight with Boco, were settled into a small abandoned building; it was long abandoned and rather run down, but would keep them all hidden. Knowing this was only temporary, as they would move to an actual inn later, Agrias had everyone, minus Ramza and Mustadio, settle down and keep low; the three moved to the smaller room to speak.

The three spaced out a bit, getting as comfortable as possible; Ramza offered Agrias the only chair in the room, a tattered, wobbly chair, but a chair nonetheless. Agrias gracefully accepted the seat while Ramza flopped down onto a discarded crate; Mustadio, with a quick dusting off of the floor, sat, taking out his odd metal device, a few small tools, and started to clean the item, glancing up at the other two.

Ramza broke the silence, "So why was the Bart Company after you?"

Mustadio was quite for a moment, then asked, "Ever hear tales of the lost civilizations?"

Agrias frowned; he was either avoiding the question or taking some kind of convoluted route to answer it. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, she replied, "I heard that one of these 'lost civilizations' is hidden under Goug. Scripture tells of a time, when St. Ajora was still alive, that flying boats, called airships, were traveling the skies and metal humans walked the land. Time passed, and this technology was lost, perhaps not even existing."

Mustadio leaned forward, exclaiming, "But these civilizations must have existed! I've seen parts from airships and machines excavated from below Goug." He calmed down, picking up the strange weapon and continued to clean it, "I'm a mechanic; it's my passion and responsibility to find and restore these past legacies."

Ramza interrupted, "So that thing you have there, that made the loud noise in battle, is that one of those ancient machines?"

Mustadio nodded, setting aside his tools to lift the item, "Yes; this was the first one I found and restored. It's called a 'gun'. The mechanics of it are pretty complicated, but, with some of the old documents I've found, I can refine normal blasting powder into 'gunpowder', and use this more powerful powder to propel a metal 'bullet' from the gun." Mustadio beamed at his weapon, spinning it casually, "These are more powerful then an arrow and more accurate then a crossbow."

Ramza nodded, looking at the weapon curiously, "Can I see it?" Mustadio blinked, and then nodded, letting Ramza know that it was not 'loaded'. Ramza grunted his thanks and started to examine the device; he only understood a little of Mustadio's "simple" explanation. He would understand these guns quicker if he held one.

Agrias cleared her throat, "Is that why Bart Company is after you?"

The mechanic fidgeted, "You said that you were going to see the Cardinal, right?" He knew he dodged the question, and by the arching of Agrias's eyebrow, she knew too, "Well, he was a hero during the Fifty Year War. People in Lionel still think of him as a hero, at least. My father does, too. The Cardinal is the only one who can unite this country. Whatever you're going to see him for, with the Princess and all, I'm sure that he'd grant your request."

Getting impatient at Mustadio's rambling, Agrias snapped, "Yes? And?"

"Can you take me with you? I want to meet the Cardinal!" Mustadio spoke with a rush, leaning forward, pleading to the holy knight.

Agrias took a half step back, startled by the mechanics movement, "What? Why?"

Mustadio cried, "To save my father! The Cardinal's the only one who can rescue him from Rudvich. But I'm… I'm only a lowly mechanic. I wouldn't be able to meet him if I tried. If I'm with you though… please, take me with you!"

Agrias blinked at the man; yes, it was noble of him to be so devout to his father, but he still avoided her question, "You still haven't told me why Bart's after you!"

Her words cowed Mustadio, who sat back, staring at the floor, "… I can't tell you."

"Then we can't take you." Ramza, finished investigation the gun, and confident that he could use it with a little training, gave the ultimatum, as well as the weapon, to Mustadio, "If you can't trust us with the reason why Bart Rudvich and his mercenaries are after you, how can we trust you with the Princess's life?"

Tears were in the mechanic's eyes, "I beg you! You can trust me with this! I just… I just can't tell you now. Please!"

Agrias's heart went out to the man, but she agreed with Ramza; Mustadio was hunted, and, if he traveled with them, his presence would endanger the Princess. Looking to Ramza, she knew he felt the same way; both wanted to help the mechanic, but at the cost of the Princess's safety?

Agrias never had time to make her decision, as the door suddenly swung open, Olivia striding into the room. It was times like this that Agrias remembered she was the heir to the throne, royalty; the confident presence she brought into the room, and the wise gaze she bestowed upon the holy knight had Agrias kneeling at once. Ramza was also caught in the spell, mimicking the holy knight. Only Mustadio, who was still sitting on the floor, didn't move. Without preamble, Olivia addressed the mechanic, "You may accompany us."

All three reacted differently; Mustadio, overcome with joy, leaped to his feet and took a step forward, crying, "Really? Thank you, Highness!"

As Mustadio cried his thanks, Agrias stared at the princess, "What?"

Ramza just laughed, reaching up to the enthusiastic mechanic, and pulling him back, saying, "Remember, you're in the presence of a princess." Mustadio blushed and immediately went to knee.

Olivia was trying to keep her face blank, even though a smile was threatening to crack her face; regally, she commanded, "You may all stand."

All stood, tears of joy now in Mustadio's eyes as Agrias asked again, "Oliv- Your Highness, may I ask why you are allowing Mustadio our protection?"

Olivia stared at Agrias, a small frown on her face, "You should know by now, Agrias, that I wish for my friends to call me by my given name." Olivia paused as Agrias reddened, and continued, "I overheard the entire thing."

"Eavesdropping, M'lady?" Ramza grinned at Olivia.

Showing no shame, she nodded, "I've come quite skilled at it." Eyes sparkling, Olivia addressed Agrias again, "Mustadio here has noble intentions; he only cares for the safety of his father. To care for family brings no shame."

Agrias nodded, and after a moment of silence turned to Mustadio, "All right, we'll trust you. We'll go see the Cardinal, and we'll use our influence to help you seek aid from him."

Mustadio, overcome, only nodded. After he had composed himself, he gathered his tools, saying, "You have my marksmanship skills at your disposal, Agrias. I'll help protect the Princess."

"Good. Now, let's get to a decent inn; the brigands were paid well, and they will be treating us to a good room, some warm food, and a hot bath tonight." Agrias smiled at the last bit. In short order they exited the building and walked to the southern section of the city, stopping off at one of the nicer inns. With the new edition, Agrias suddenly got uncomfortable sharing one giant room; it was odd, she had never felt uncomfortable sleeping close to Ramza. A few minutes of quick haggling later, Agrias handed over a pouch of gil to cover two rooms, one large, one small, and a hearty meal for all to be shared in a private dining area. Being such an upscale business, there was a bath on location, split into male and female sections; this was included with the rooms.

Mustadio had been in Zaland for a week now, and was able to share any gossip he had heard during that time; sadly, nothing of interest. The Church still supported the royal family but remained neutral in the growing conflict between the Hokuten and Nanten. With part one of Agrias's plan already finished for them, she, along with the other women, decided to skip right to part three: the bath. As the women wanted a nice long soak, the men were delegated to errand boys, given a list of provisions from Agrias and sent out into the city. There was no complaint from Ramza or Mustadio; both enjoyed a bath but found the length of time women spent soaking absurd.

For little over an hour the men wandered around the shopping district, very active and busy unlike the northern gate. All the items on the list checked off and resting upon Boco, who was recruited to help, much to his annoyance, Ramza made a few personal stops. With his money pouch full from recent fights, he purchased non-essential items for the group, including some weapons and extra armors, as well as magical packs to help carry the new equipment. Mustadio rambled on about something called 'vehicles' that used to carry supplies, but with that technology gone Ramza was content with these enchanted bags. They were handy things, really, used to carry bigger and bulkier, as well as multiple, items. He used to own quite a few, years ago, enough to give each in his command one, but his own was lost during the explosion. Expensive, Ramza was only able to purchase two, one for himself and one to place upon Boco, to aid the equipment the chocobo carried. After a quick stop at a clothing store, where he got himself a half dozen more sets of cloths, remembering Olivia's displeasure with his limited supply, both made their way back to the inn.

After they had left Boco in the care of a stableman, and deposited the supplies into the women's room, devoid of women, they went to the baths themselves. It took Ramza and Mustadio less then a score minutes to clean themselves, change into some clean clothing, and await the women's arrival in their dining area. The women joined them almost a half-hour later, all pink from vigorous scrubbing, and smelling of flowers. Dinner was a pleasant affair; the food was filling and flavorful, the talk light and carefree. Mustadio, with Ramza's urging, joined in the conversations, as he had initially remained silent, slightly awkward with the group; mechanics had solitary jobs, and those in the field were almost exclusively male, so Mustadio wasn't exactly sure how to approach the women. He soon relaxed, once he realized that Ramza talked to the women no differently then their own conversations; getting his foot out of his mouth, Mustadio approached the discussions as a fellow traveler and warrior.

After a restful night at the inn, the group left at dawn, heading south; it was still approximately five days to get to Lionel, and now they had not only Hokuten and Nanten after them, they had to worry about Mustadio's father. Soon after they set out, Ramza had informed the women of the additional equipment he had purchased; when asked why, by Agrias, the squire had just shrugged, saying, "It's handy to have spare weapons and extra armor. Just in case."

Finding Ramza's logic sound, Agrias nodded and gave thanks, rooting around the bag atop Boco to look at the items. Most of it was rather standard; extra knives, ether with the enchantment of blindness or made of mythril, extra swords, also made of the lightweight mythril, and a few elemental rods, two for each element. A few not so common weapons were found in the bag, as Agrias dug deeper; she found a basic katana, called Asura, a priest's staff, a long cypress rod, a basic hammer and battle axe, a mythril spear, and a mythril strengthened bow with plenty of arrows. She guessed that Zaland had access to a mythril mine, as most of the weapons were either made of, or decorated with the shiny ore. Jumping to the logical conclusion, when she checked the spare armor, she found, to no great surprise, that they were also made of mythril; she saw linked vests, plate armor, helms, and shields gleaming in the pack, as well as some spare wizard robes. Ramza had practically purchased a small armory, all neatly fit into a sack.

"Do you have any gil left after this shopping spree, Ramza?" Lavian asked, who had been lurking behind Agrias the entire time the holy knight inspected the equipment, "And how is all that fitting in there?"

Agrias answered for the squire, "Pack's magical. These are expensive commodities, made for nobles but often sold at market. Crafted by powerful sages, they can hold much more equipment and items than normal. Private armies usually have one of these per squad, to carry spare arms." She turned to Ramza, "Thank you Ramza; this will help immensely."

Ramza smiled, but shifted, slightly embarrassed by the praise, "I'm not broke, Lavian. And it was not problem at all, Agrias; I just wanted to contribute a little."

Lavian snorted, "You're saying you don't pull your own weight? Idiot."

Ramza shrugged, effectively dropping the conversation, "Then call it a gift. I don't care; it's only gil. I didn't need it, and the bag and equipment we did."

The knight held up her hands in surrender, "Ok, ok, I get it. Sorry, didn't mean anything by it." Deciding the best route was to change topics, she pulled out the katana, "I've always wanted to learn how to use one of these; samurai's use them, right?"

Ramza smiled, his annoyance already gone, "Correct; I can teach you the basics, if you'd like, although you'd need training in a few other styles before you can fully master _Iaido_." Ramza thought for a moment, gazing upwards, and ticked off on his fingers, "You already have the basic knight training, but you'll need to spend some time as an archer, thief, monk, and lancer. The samurai's fighting style implements movements and actions from all five."

Ramza paused, looking back to the knight; he realized that she, and everyone else was staring at him, either in amusement or curiosity, "What?"

"And you know all of this, how?" Alicia asked.

"That's a good question Alicia," Agrias murmured, gazing at Ramza, a glint of determination in her eyes, "Ramza can answer that, as well telling me what other fighting techniques he was trained in as we walk."

Ramza met the holy knight's gaze, and nodded, "Alright; let's leave Zaland behind us first."

Agrias nodded, and jerked her head, signaling everyone forward. They marched for about an hour in relative silence, only Lavian and Mustadio, at the rear of the formation, speaking quietly to each other. Agrias, who had turned her head behind them constantly, taking Ramza's words literally, spoke as she saw the lasts traces of Zaland disappear behind a hill, "So?"

Ramza shared a small laugh with Alicia, Belle, and Olivia, the squire speaking, "So literal there, Agrias." He held his arms up at the holy knight's glare, "Truce, truce." Ramza glanced at Alicia first, "To answer Alicia's question, my academy days where very… thorough. I've read books about all known fighting styles and what simpler classes are needed grasp the more complex techniques." Ramza shifted, kicking a loose stone. This was another part of his past, not as painful, but more… arrogant. Due to his old ego, he had requested, no, demanded, basic training for every class. He hadn't mastered every style, and for some only knew a handful of abilities, but he was trained in them all. Silently cursing his blood, he decided for more half-truths.

"As for you, Agrias… not only do I know all fundaments of fighting, I know most arts of war and martial arts abilities, and have some knowledge in geography, chemistry, and _Iaido_. I've also spent time as a Lancer and Archer." He watched the ground as he spoke; most warriors knew two, maybe three fighting techniques. He used to tell anyone who could hear of his skills; now humble, he felt uncomfortable letting Agrias know what he can do.

He brought his eyes up to gage everyone's reaction; for the most part, they were as expected. All but the Olivia were staring at him with wide eyes, Alicia's mouth even opening in disbelief; only the princess was staring at Ramza with curious eyes, her gaze piercing into the man, as if she was looking upon him like she had known his face before. Ramza held Olivia's gaze, challenging the young woman to remember; she did not, and Olivia yielded the gaze, a nagging feeling that Ramza was familiar, but unable to place it.

There was a minute of silence as everyone soaked in Ramza's words; there was no longer doubt that Ramza still hid pieces of his past. Alicia hoped that one day he would be able to share his secrets with her. Before that day, though, a question had been itching on her lips since the fight, and she took the silence to speak it, "How did you jump like that?"

Ramza turned his head to the wizard, enjoying the change in topic, and replied warmly, "It's hard to explain. Jumping into the skies is all part of the Lancer technique." Alicia looked back blankly at the squire, and, with a chuckle, Ramza elaborated, "You know the basics about Lancer's, right?"

Alicia nodded, "Yea; heavy soldiers, wielding polearms or spears. They can touch magic a little, but only with the wind element."

"Correct. Lancers are able to gather wind around them, making themselves lighter in order to leap, and dismissing the air at their apex, to land." Ramza instructed.

Lavian murmured, "Ungracefully, apparently."

There were a few chuckles at Lavian's jab, to which Ramza only replied, "So I'm a little rusty."

"It's no light skill." Noted Agrias, watching the squire; her eyes always seemed to follow the man. "It was quick thinking for you to jump over the knights to get to their casters." Agrias gave him a scowl, "Although, I would have appreciated you telling me about this earlier."

"It worked out in the end," Quipped Mustadio, "and I'm very happy about that."

Agrias nodded, letting the conversation drop, with everyone doing the same; after a few minutes of comfortable silence, small conversations between her friends started, Lavian and Mustadio retreating to the back of the group again. Agrias sighed as she watched Lavian flirt with the man; the knight had a taste for book smarts, and Mustadio had plenty of that. Mustadio didn't seem to object the woman's advances either, talking enthusiastically with Lavian, keeping his eyes to her face where most men's gaze wandered lower. Lavian was no child, so Agrias knew the feeling she had as she watched them wasn't concern, as she would have felt with Alicia.

_I'm jealous,_ Agrias realized, turning her gaze away from the two, looking to their path ahead, with the pretence to watch for danger. She forcibly shook the feeling. Agrias wasn't jealous of Lavian showering her attention on the engineer; frankly she didn't think he was that attractive. What she was envious of was having someone with whom to connect. She felt her gaze wander to Ramza, and felt a shock as she noticed he was staring back at her. Their eyes met until Agrias ripped her gaze away, a blush rushing to her face. There was that other feeling again; fiercely she stamped it down and calmed herself. She had no time to identify that spark, not while the princess was still in dangerous lands. In five days… in five days, with the princess safe in sanctuary, maybe then she will figure this feeling out. Meekly, almost shyly, her gaze traveled to Ramza again, who had turned to Olivia, talking politely to the princess. In five days…


	14. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 13

**Author Notes:** Again, not much to say here this time around. A big thanks for those who took the time to review, and a friendly reminder - I'm mixing both classic and WotL terminology in my story; classes, names, and places are classic terms, while techniques are WotL (So Wizard, not Black Mage, and Fira, not Fire 2). Although the exception to that rule seems to be "Wish" ("Chant"? really? CHANT?). I hope there isn't too much confusion.

Thats all for now; enjoy (and review?)

* * *

Princess Olivia Atkascha gazed at the far off speck that she knew was Lionel Castle. Contained within the fortified city was the ancient Glabados Cathedral; by tomorrow afternoon Olivia would claim sanctuary within the holy ground, protection against her pursuers. Her journey was almost over.

"Almost over…" the girl whispered in the wind, her voice tainted with misery; throughout the danger, the battles, the tiring days, bland food, and dirt-stained clothes, the young woman had rather enjoyed it all. For the last few weeks, she felt like she was finally living her life, not sitting passively by; to the seventeen year old, this was the greatest freedom she could have imagined. Always locked up in a monastery or estate, her days slowly ticking away as she practiced her needlework or sat through dull lectures about etiquette, Olivia was often miserable. Happy for the first time since her childhood, a part of her didn't want this adventure to end. The princess sighed morosely; as she was bluntly reminded yesterday, she would never be as carefree again.

Olivia tore here eyes away from the blessed and cursed distant speck and moved them to where her guards and friends rested; they had taken shelter within an old, collapsed building, probably an abandoned church, to allow Ramza and Mustadio time to cover their tracks, and check for enemy activity in the area. Olivia herself was standing atop a small hill behind the ruins, her only company an old and sickly tree, against which she leaned. Idly running her fingers along the coarse bark, she watched the women below; Agrias was missing from the small group, patrolling the area no doubt, as the other three sat near each other, sharing a meager meal, talking quietly. Olivia allowed a small smile to spread on her face as she watched the three talk, smiles on their own faces; by the redness on Alicia's cheeks, they were most likely talking about boys.

The princess was good at reading people; she had spent most of her life quietly observing everyone around her, as it was a princess's duty to be seen but not heard. The countless days of sitting quietly in the background, listening and watching diplomats, nobles, and soldiers had honed this talent, so it was second nature to the woman to observe her friends as well. Many people saw her silence and passiveness as a girl with a slow mind, but it was quite the opposite; Olivia's mind was quite quick, not overly book smart, as she detested studying, and very wise. Even in the few days she had known Mustadio, she was able to read him like a book; the only one who still remained closed to her was Ramza.

The man was something of an enigma; Olivia had the distinct feeling that she had met Ramza sometime in the past, but couldn't remember when. His emotions were open and closed at the same time, a feat that was confusing in itself; he drew people close to him but didn't let them get too close. He could sense when someone was hurt or in danger, but was oblivious to Agrias's attention; _Then again_, Olivia pondered_, I'm probably the only one who sees Agrias's dilemma. I don't think she is fully aware of it yet, or perhaps she's ignoring the attraction._ The holy knight was not the only one pining for the squire, much to Olivia's amusement; Alicia had formed a crush on the man and even Belle showed signs of interest, the chemist's eyes and hands lingering longer then required on the squire.

Olivia shook her head, clearing her mind; now was not the time to analyze Ramza's love life, although the topic had slightly lessened the depressed mood the princess had. Still, Olivia could not shake the morose feelings, as she turned her gaze away from her friends and to the tree, watching her fingers move from the bark to branch, idly plucking a leaf from the tree, turning it in her hands.

"Princess Olivia?"

Olivia turned, blood rushing to her face, at the sound of Agrias's voice; the young woman was so deep in thought she hadn't heard the holy knight approach her. Olivia dropped the leaf without a second glance, looking into the concerned face of Agrias, and gave the older woman a weak smile, "How was your patrol?"

Agrias frowned slightly, noticing the lack of enthusiasm in Olivia's words, "I didn't find any signs of danger, so good, I suppose." There was a moment of silence as Olivia nodded and turned her gaze back to the tree, "Everything ok?"

Olivia stilled her hand, her back turned to the holy knight, and gave a non-committal shrug, "I guess." The princess heard the clanking of metal as Agrias moved closer and the holy knight's hand dropping on her shoulder. Olivia hesitated a moment, then continued, "Worried, I guess; and a little scared."

Agrias gently turned Olivia around to face her, asking softly, "Scared?"

Olivia nodded, moving her arms to hug herself, and seeking comfort within Agrias's eyes, "A little; I wonder if Cardinal Draclau will really help us. What if he…"

Agrias hushed the princess, "Don't worry about that; the Cardinal is very loyal to the royal family. He refuses to take sides in the dispute between Prince Larg and Prince Goltana, as it would go against his own beliefs; there is no way he would turn you over to either one of them." Agrias smiled rubbing Olivia's arms, "He will help you, and you'll be safe."

Olivia nodded, "I hope so…" after hesitating a moment, she slipped into Agrias's arms, finding support within them, and whispered after a minute, "I wish I weren't a princess…"

Agrias shifted, gently rubbing Olivia's back, "Olivia…"

The princess spoke into Agrias's shoulder, "It's just… even with all that's happened, I've had fun these past few weeks." She paused for a moment, before murmuring, "Before this, I was always surrounded by walls, only able to see the sky through them." Olivia moved slightly, so she was more comfortable leaning on Agrias, "But now, with Lionel in sight, it feels like the walls are springing up around me again." Olivia quieted a moment, and whispered, "Also… it feels like my legs have chains on them, the responsibility of being a Princess. Like Mustadio said, people are dying because I'm the princess. It's so painful…"

Olivia heard Mustadio's words ring in her head yet again; it all happened two days ago, a few hours before noon, when they were attacked at a landmark known as Barius Hill. There weren't a lot of enemies, only six, but two of them were powerful casters known as summoners. These magic users had all the benefits of wizards while removing one major penalty; with their magic, they could summon powerful elemental monsters to damage a large number of enemy troops, while causing no harm to allies. Thankfully summoners could only conjure these beings into existence for a moment, but a moment was all that was needed for the creature to unleash its havoc. The two knights and archers that accompanied the summoners were of little threat in comparison.

From the beginning of the battle Agrias's troops were at a disadvantage; the casters were split apart, one on each side of the hill, while the other four held the high ground. Mustadio, with his gun's amazing range and accuracy, was able to handle one of the summoners, but the second was out of everyone else's reach. Olivia, atop Boco, and told to stay out of the fight, ignored Agrias, knowing she could help, and spurned the chocobo forward to the second summoner; Olivia knew the bird could get there quickly, and he was a fierce fighter, but he needed guidance to navigate the dangerous terrain. Ignoring the shouts from her friends, the clatter of metal, the crack of gunpowder, and the nagging within her own head telling her this was a stupid idea, Olivia ran the summoner down before she was able to finish her spell, Boco tearing into the woman with his sharp beak.

The rest of the battle was hazy for the princess; for the longest time, she just stared at the torn summoner's body. Agrias later told Olivia about the short scuffle; Mustadio had crippled, and then killed the second summoner, but not before she was able to summon an Ifrit, a demon of fire. Only the mechanic was harmed by the monster's attack, quite severely, but, thankfully, not critically. Ramza and Agrias had clashed with the knights, with Belle as backup, her potions at the ready, while Lavian and Alicia targeted the archers. As per Ramza's suggestion, Lavian was outfitted as a thief to refine her agility; Lavian had kept one archer busy while Alicia chanted. The tactic worked well, as Lavian nicked the archer's bow out of his hands, giving Alicia plenty of breathing room as she cast her fiery spell. The only problem was it had left the second archer free for a few moments, leaving him free to attack anyone within his range.

Olivia didn't even notice the projectile; she only heard a slight buzzing sound before an arrow seemed to have grown out of Boco's neck. The archer had missed the princess, who he was aiming for, and the wound on the chocobo was nothing more then a sting to the giant bird. The princess only looked blankly at the arrow, slightly confused; the odd part of her confusion was not why she was being attacked, but the complete lack of worry or even care that she was. Boco, sensing his passenger's shock, moved on his own, out of the range of the archer.

The archer didn't live to cast a second arrow at the princess.

Olivia had always heard of the time distortion one felt in the battlefield, it lasting for too long or the battle over too quickly, but, until this moment, she had not experienced it. To the princess, it honestly felt like hours before she was joined by Agrias, worry, fear, and anger written on her face, even though the fight had lasted a only a few violent minutes. Olivia was immediately engulfed by Agrias's worry, the holy knight poking and prodding her, asking questions out of concern one moment and switching to outbursts of anger the next. The princess felt very small in those few moments, Agrias's words becoming background noise as she stared past the woman, looking upon her friends and allies; only three had avoided bloodshed in the fight, those being Olivia, Belle, and Alicia, but Mustadio's wounds stood out as the most severe. He was surrounded by Lavian, Belle, and Alicia, although the wizard was there more for Lavian than the mechanist. Belle was binding the man's face, red from fire, applying some soothing cream upon the burns, and giving him a potion to dull the pain.

Concern for her valiant steed blossomed, and Olivia turned to check on Boco's condition; the chocobo, arrow removed by Ramza, was softly cooing to itself, glowing gold, as it performed its own innate magic, healing the small wound. Sitting next to the bird, also receiving some of the soothing spell, sat Ramza, arrow idly twirling in his hand, a bloody rag wrapped around his head from a wound he received from a shield bash. His face looked drained, but his eyes bright as he met Olivia's stare. For a few heartbeats they connected, briefly, and Olivia could see why her friend was so enamored by the man.

A small, tired smile grew on Ramza's face, as he told her, "Good job."

His words cut through the static around her, and drove away the fog; she had just been praised. Ramza's recognition was fiercely important to Olivia, not only because she was rarely appreciated for what she did, but Olivia wanted to be ennobled by Ramza. His applause seemed more important then others'; she watched as Ramza nodded and turned, walking over to Mustadio, the smile fleeing his face. It was then that Olivia knew why Ramza's praise was profound; he didn't say it because of who she was or because her ego needed a boost. Ramza thought she did the right thing, made a right choice, and did a good job. Olivia, feeling her fortitude returning, faced Agrias, whose words were reprimanding, and cut the holy knight off, "Enough, Agrias!"

Agrias, mid sentence, stared at Olivia, and tried to continue, "You don't seem to understand-"

"I said enough Agrias!" Olivia words were quiet, only heard by the holy knight, but sharp. Once the princess saw Agrias's mouth clamp shut, she continued, her voice softening, "I know your words come from your care of me, and I know my actions were… rash."

Agrias, who had tensed up when Olivia interrupted her, relaxed at the words, and reached a hand out gently, lightly grasping her arm, "I apologize, Olivia; my tone was inappropriate." Agrias glanced around, noticing they had a moment of privacy, "When you charged… it felt as if my heart stopped. I thought…"

Olivia grasped Agrias's hand, giving it a small pat, "I know, Agrias, I know. I knew that the summoner was capable of harming or even killing you. You always risk your life for me, so…" Her bravery almost faltered, but she shook off the doubt, remembering, "I wanted to help, and I did. Boco couldn't have gotten to the summoner alone and needed my guidance." Olivia's face tightened, and she told Agrias firmly, "I did the right thing."

Agrias stared at the princess, as she stood there determined and, Agrias realized, proud; the only thing the holy knight could do was nod. Olivia's actions possibly saved their lives, and she walked away unscathed, so there was little Agrias could say, besides, "Don't make a habit of it. My heart can't take it."

Olivia beamed, joyful that Agrias wasn't going to argue with her anymore; the princess wanted to speak further with the holy knight, to share this lingering feeling that she could not describe, something she felt since the summoner had died, but a different commotion came up.

Ramza had confronted Mustadio, after the mechanist was all patched up, still looking red and swollen, but much better then before; the mechanist had started to shuffle away when Ramza stood stoically in front of his path, and stated in a pointed voice, "They asked for you."

Mustadio, looking slightly jittery, shrugged, and tried to slip past the squire; Ramza would have none of Mustadio's dodging, and shifted with the mechanist, asking, "Why are they after you?"

The mechanist opened and closed his mouth, scrounging for words; after a second, he looked away from the squire, muttering, "…I can't tell you."

A frown grew on Ramza's face, as he stared at Mustadio, who was avoiding his gaze, "You can't tell us? It's one thing to be ambushed by knights, archers, and squires, but to send fully trained summoners after you? Because of this secret, you were almost killed!" Ramza's voice, quiet initially, was raised slightly, a hint of anger heard, "Because of this secret, the princess could have been killed!"

"It's not my fault the princess was reckless!" Mustadio interrupted, his voice angry, "Don't place blame of the princess's folly on me! She should know better!" the mechanist took a step back from Ramza, his hands held wide, not noticing Olivia and Agrias approaching, "She's a _princess_, a noble!" He snorted, "Does she think that none of her guard will die for her? It's the royalty's privilege to send troops to their deaths! With the conflict growing between Larg and Goltana, her existence is already responsible for countless deaths!"

Ramza growled, closing the distance between the two, and grasped Mustadio's shirt, almost looking like he would strike the mechanist, but stopped when he heard Olivia call out, for the second time, "Enough!"

The two men quieted, and Ramza backed off, both looking at Olivia. Her face was carefully controlled, even though she felt the sting of Mustadio's words. The mechanist stared back at the princess; his face was red, but he did not back down from his words. Olivia knew, in that moment, another part of her died; even though his words were crude, Mustadio spoke the truth. The growing conflict in Ivalice seemed to be centered on her, and it was a heavy burden to shoulder. Olivia turned her gaze to Ramza, who looked quite calm, his anger already gone; she rewarded the squire with a smile, as he had championed her a moment ago.

"Now it not the time to be squabbling amongst ourselves." Olivia stated, looking to all her friends, "As for you Mustadio," her eyes turned to him again, "We will continue to respect your secrecy, unless the danger gets too intense, as decided by Agrias." Olivia smiled as she saw Agrias nod to her in agreement, "I have agreed to assist you in your mission; do not let me regret that decision."

With the princess's words, the argument was ended, the group gathering their dropped supplies, as well as removing anything of use from the slain foes. Later that evening, the two men forgave and forgot, Mustadio going so far to apologize to Olivia for his unbefitting words, to which Olivia graciously accepted. Even with all the drama under the bridge, Mustadio still tread lightly around Olivia, seldom talking to her, so the air between them remained distant.

His words still haunted Olivia, as well as the death of the summoner, which turned the princess's light mood morose. The depressed mood had lightened with the sight of Lionel; at least there she would be free of the political mess she had been thrust into. Her mind returned to the present, and Olivia removed herself from Agrias's grasp, "Thank you Agrias. You always could make me feel better."

The holy knight nodded, giving the girl a smile, watching her walk back to the tree, plucking another leaf from its branch, "Olivia, stop blaming yourself for the actions of the princes. They are at fault, for trying to take advantage of you."

Olivia nodded, turning the leaf in her fingers, thinking, "My head knows that, Agrias, but my heart…" she paused, dropping the leaf, "I get used a lot, as a political pawn, being a princess. Few people look past the royalty and see the person; you…" Olivia turned her gaze to Agrias, a sad smile on her face, "and the girl who I befriended at the monastery…"

Agrias thought for a moment, recalling the time they had spent at Orbonne a few years back, "She was the daughter of the Beoulves, Lady Alma, right?"

Olivia smiled, "You remember! Yes, Alma Beoulve… my only friend within those cold walls…"

The privacy the two had was broken by Mustadio's voice, "Ramza! There you are. Find anything?"

Both women turned their heads to gaze down the hill, where the sound came from; sitting at the bottom of the hill, back facing them, but within hearing distance of the women's conversation, was Ramza. The two did not know how long he had been listening, and the squire, when he stood and brushed off his pants, turning to smile at the women, gave no indication of if he heard anything. He called to Mustadio, still looking uphill, "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Agrias, her breath catching as she stared into Ramza's eyes, forced her sight away, asking Mustadio, "What about yourself, Mustadio?"

The mechanic shrugged, turning his attention to her, "All clear. No signs of ambush and I covered our tracks. If we are being followed, they'll be stalled."

Agrias nodded, "Then we should head out."

Olivia shrugged, not really paying attention to the conversation; memories of Alma, and how they played, had resurfaced, and Olivia had plucked a leaf from the tree again, placing the green in her hands, blowing between her fingers, trying to play the makeshift flute. Unsuccessful, she huffed, muttering, "Why isn't this working?"

The leaf was deftly plucked from Olivia's fingers by Ramza, who had quietly walked up next to her, an odd look on his face. His gaze was thoughtful as he silently turned the leaf in his fingers, making a small crease, before correctly holding it, placing the frond next to his lips, blowing softly. A soft humming sound crept over the hill, surprisingly not shrill; smiling, he held out the modified leaf to Olivia, his eyes distant, remembering something, "You forgot to fold it, and you need to lessen your grip; if you hold it too tight, the leaf won't vibrate."

Olivia stared at the squire for a moment before accepting the reed, holding it like Ramza did, asking, "Like this?" After the squire nodded, Olivia placed the reed to her mouth, and shortly the soft humming was back, circling in the air. The young woman had closed her eyes as she played, enjoying the simple and soothing sound, feeling like a child again; a second voice joined hers, deeper, but in tune, the two sounds merging into one. For a brief moment, Olivia felt as if her friend Alma was there with her; she opened her eyes to see that Ramza was filling Alma's position, and again, she felt a strong sense that she knew the squire.

The music died off as the players ran out of breath; Olivia, her cheeks slightly red from excitement, turned to Agrias, exclaiming, "There! I did it!"

Agrias smiled at the young woman, happy that her depressing mood was lifting. She stepped aside, signaling it was time to leave the hill and get ready to depart. Olivia, smile stuck on her face, nodded, and started to descend, Ramza following, and Mustadio already gone. Once everyone had passed her, the holy knight started down, taking a few moments to reflect on what she saw; the tenderness Ramza had exhibited was poignant. Where he had learned the trick wasn't important, but it seemed to be a dear memory to him, and for Ramza to share it and show a brief glimpse of a kind of vulnerability seemed significant.

An odd surge of feeling rose up in Agrias, and for a brief moment, she had wished Ramza shared that connection with her; she wanted to deny that second of weakness, but could not. Watching Ramza's face soften as he played his reed flute had stirred the harder and harder to contain emotions within her. It was exciting and frightening, but mostly just confusing. She did like the man, that was no secret, and they had formed their own bond; they had the night watch together. Although she wouldn't admit it, not yet, Agrias enjoyed the time they spent at night, while the others slumbered, only each other and the stars for company. They didn't talk much, but not much was needed to be said; they usually spent the watch back to back, next to the fire if they had one, leaning on the other. The feeling of his back on hers felt right; it was conformable and warm.

Agrias did not monopolize Ramza's time, however; the squire spent his time with everyone, and they each had different ways to bond with the man. Mustadio was a fellow man, as silly as it sounds, and the two had quickly become like brothers; like all siblings, they fought sometimes, but their arguments, serious like a few days ago or foolish like this morning, when they bickered on the finer points of a common game referred simply as 'football', were soon forgotten. Lavian was a shield sister, a warrior sibling, and fellow prankster, but that's as far as their relationship went. The samurai in training often used Ramza as a walking library, learning of different techniques and talking of favored weaponry, but, unlike Alicia or Belle, and the holy knight, her eyes never followed the squire; a certain mechanist held her gaze.

Agrias paused her thought process as they reached the rest of her troops, Boco already saddled and ready to go; Lavian nodded to Agrias, motioning that she and the others were ready. The holy knight turned to assist Olivia up onto the chocobo, but had no need, as the princess hopped on without aid, face bright for the first time in days. Agrias quickly flicked her eyes to the two men, who nodded, and gave the gesture to move out. This time taking point, Lavian and Mustadio moved forward, followed by Belle and Olivia, atop Boco, then Ramza and Alicia, leaving the holy knight as rear guard. This suited Agrias fine, giving her more time to study Ramza, her mind picking up where it had left off, as she watched Alicia lean into Ramza, her face splashed by a hint of red, asking a question.

It was slightly ironic in how Agrias could see the obvious signs of a crush from Alicia when she so blatantly ignored her own feelings. The sixteen year old was inexperienced and naive, and under any other circumstance Agrias would be concerned for the girl, but her concerns would have been for naut. Ramza was not the type to take advantage of a young girl's emotions and inexperience; if Alicia ever gathered the courage to confess to the man, and if her feelings were rejected, Agrias was sure that Ramza would dance gently around the issue. No, Alicia's fascination with the squire was not the thing that bugged the holy knight; her eyes moved to Belle, walking aside Olivia, neither talking, but the chemist occasionally turning her head back, to flick her gaze behind her. Belle and Ramza had gotten close; even though it shouldn't, the sight of the two smiling and laughing, or just being next to one another was like a small itch she couldn't scratch. Belle's behavior confused the holy knight; after the horror story the chemist had told, Agrias doubted that Belle would even desire the companionship of a man.

_Then again_, Agrias pondered, staring at the chemist, noticing the distinctive way her hips moved, obviously meant for Ramza, who was walking behind her, _I could be wrong. I've seen Lavian walk the same way when she's trying to entice company for the night._ Agrias's cheeks redden, the sudden thought of herself prancing in front of Ramza, walking the way Belle did, rushed to her head. She shook the image from her mind; _Belle's changed these past few weeks_, the holy knight's gaze wondered to the squire, _and Ramza's been the one who's helped her the most. It makes sense that... _Agrias cut herself off, turning her gaze away from the group. She was starting to feel jealous again; she shouldn't, after all. Agrias held no claim to anyone, least of all Ramza.

_Even if that's what you really want_, a part of her whispered conspiratorially.

Agrias stopped short at her own thoughts, even physically stopping for a moment, trying to process the implications of what she just reasoned. She wanted to deny it, deny that thought, but was unable to; still, she did not accept it, either. Agrias was not ready, not ready to admit this feeling, so she retreated, using the excuse she relied on. _Princess Olivia is in constant danger. I must be alert to protect her; it is my duty._ Agrias ignored the fact that she had been daydreaming for the past hour, telling herself, _I don't have the luxury to think of myself. I failed Olivia once before; I won't fail her again!_ The image of Olivia being carried off into the night due to the holy knight's incompetence flashed into her mind, and with that image she steeled her emotions.

"I have no time for this distraction," she whispered to herself, continuing her walk, reasoning with her gentler self, "Ramza is nothing more then my soldier, a subordinate, a sword and shield."

_That's cruel. He's more then that to you._ The incorporeal voice was sad in her mind.

"He can't be. Not now." Agrias spoke back, still quietly, not thinking, or caring, if someone heard her. "Not for a few days. In a few days, then I can…"

"Captain?" Alicia's voice cut off the holy knight's rambling; the young wizard had noticed Agrias's lagging, so, detaching herself from Ramza, she had waited for her commander. "What will you do in a few days?"

Agrias snapped out of her lethargy, staring at her friend, ignoring the blood rushing to her face. Alicia was looking at her expectantly, but Agrias was in no real mood to share, and had no excuse, so shrugged at Alicia, saying, "It is of no concern; what brings you to check up on me?"

Alicia quirked an eyebrow, taking a mental note of Agrias's reddened face, and shrugged, "Whatever you say, ma'am. Ramza had noticed you lagging behind, and wanted to make sure everything was all right." Alicia moved her turned her head to see if Ramza was watching them; he wasn't, so she leaned in closer to Agrias, saying, "I volunteered to walk back here; I wanted to ask you some questions."

Agrias looked at the young woman, who shuffled under the scrutiny, eyes looking everywhere but at the holy knight and ahead, where a squire walked, "Um… what about?"

Alicia blushed, finally looking to Agrias, "Well, um, I want have some questions about a guy," she stumbled, "I mean guys! General questions about men…"

Agrias sighed, suddenly not wanting to speak to the wizard, but knowing she was trapped. It was going to be a long and awkward hike.

---

Agrias looked upon the walls of Lionel Castle, sighing in relief; to her expectations, and slight embarrassment, her conversation with Alicia the day before certainly was awkward, making the tiring trip seem longer. The young woman wasn't completely naïve as Agrias feared, and the questions Alicia had asked were more along the lines of advice than know-how. Still, with Alicia, in her own, almost childish way, asking how to seduce 'a man', who was obviously Ramza, was slightly uncomfortable to the holy knight. Mostly because Agrias was no expert in the art of seduction, her past relationships usually set up by her comrades, friends, or, when she was younger and before her army days, her parents. Her parents' courters didn't last long, and never made any progress with the holy knight; it was during her cadet years and onward when she discovered the secrets shared between man and woman.

When Agrias had joined the army, she discovered that soldiers' mindsets were different then civilians; most men and women weren't looking for long time love, just companionship, someone to share an intimate moment with during the chaos that is training and war. Agrias was never as promiscuous as others in her battalion, and the number of lovers in her past could be counted one hand, with fingers to spare, so she was able to answer Alicia's blunt, but simple, questions dealing with the physical act. Oddly enough, these questions were the easiest for Agrias to answer; it was when Alicia pressed her for advice, advice Agrias could see herself using on the same person Alicia intended, that things got embarrassing and awkward. Their conversation lasted a few hours and ended abruptly when Lavian approached, smiling knowingly, inquiring why their faces were so red.

Lavian, Belle, and even Olivia teased the two mercilessly for the rest of the evening, much to their annoyance. The three were subtle in their approach to the torment, only touching on the topic, being Ramza, for which Agrias was thankful; heaven knows it would have been worse if Ramza knew what Lavian was talking about when she told him, "Beware a black dress."

Ramza, oblivious to the entire affair, blinked at the knight turned thief, and asked, quite intelligently, "Huh?" His confused and startled face caused a round of laughter from the women, even the heavily blushing Agrias and Alicia, with the squire sharing a shrug with Mustadio, who was also clueless. Thankfully by nightfall, the teasing had stopped; the last day of travel was calm and uneventful, the party reaching the gates of Lionel Castle about an hour past noon.

Lionel Castle was much more than its name; the sprawling city housed not only the castle itself, where Cardinal Draclau lived and ruled over the area, but also the Glabados Cathedral, built where, it is said, Saint Ajora himself prophesized the coming of Paradise. Besides the two landmarks, held safe within the walls were hundreds of thousands of people, living their lives as best they could in these dark times; the city was strictly regulated, the wealthy apart from the poor, the trade district separated into separate sections, each profession with its own guild and structure. Lionel had a standing army, loyal first to the church, and they had their own land within the city, troops patrolling the streets, keeping the wealthy safe.

As Lionel Castle was the largest of the four major cities in the Lionel territory, and the wealthiest due to its location, the northern gate was open, allowing the party easy access in. The half dozen guards standing within the gates didn't spare a second glance at the travelers, mostly due to the gate they used to enter the city. The northern gate was commonly referred to the Rats Entrance, as the poor were designated in the northern section of the city. Not wanting Olivia's face seen, Agrias had advised the princess to keep her hood up; Olivia gave no argument, hiding her features within her cloak. As Agrias passed the gates, a foul stench assaulted her nose; the poor quarter was not known for its cleanliness, so the stink of mud, sweat, and even fouler substances lingered in the air. The street was crowded, muddy, and reeked, encouraging the group to quicken their pace, making their way to the eastern section of the city, where the castle and Cathedral lay, both nestled within a second wall, safe from the poor.

As they walked past rundown buildings and shacks, every few street corners they would see a priest of Glabados, flanked by two to four church knights, preaching the word of Saint Ajora, keeping the love, and fear, of God fresh in the minds of the downtrodden. Agrias felt a little torn as she led Boco down the street, watching the priest preach; religion, the church of Glabados, was the foundation of her life, of who she was. She had been raised to praise God, and His prophet Ajora; since she was a little girl, she was taught the dogma and knew His words and commandments. She knew of a loving God; a God to be feared, of course, if one was full of sin. The priest evangelizing to the crowd was focusing more on the sin, and less of His love. Agrias fought down the urge to rush the priest and shake him to stop the depressing words from spouting out of his mouth; it would be better if he spoke the good God can do and the miracles Ajora had performed.

Agrias's urge died as the priest disappeared from sight, the party slowly making headway to the Gold Gate, entrance way to the merchant bazaar, located at the center of the city, a grand market where the merchant class and nobles mingled, browsing fine wares. The guards at the gate were much more observant, combing over the group with a keen eye, making sure they were not ruffians or, worse, peasants. After a brief nod, the group were allowed through, entering the busy marketplace; they did not linger, passing by the merchants and stalls without stop, almost at their destination.

In all, it took a little past a half hour to travel to the gates of the castle; no idle watchmen stood here, no open, inviting gates awaited them. Only the few, the privileged, were allowed within the inner walls, walls build wider and taller then the outer, keeping the hallowed Cathedral, and the men who lived and ruled within, safe from danger. The gate sealed shut, guards standing atop the walls or hidden within the tower, Agrias stopped her party within a dozen feet of the iron reinforced door, waiting,

The holy knight did not wait long until a voice called down, "Who are you? What is your business here?"

Agrias looked up at the knight who had called out to her, flicking back her hair and replying loudly, "I am Agrias Oaks of the Saint Konoe Knights." Agrias paused, letting the guards stew over her identity; the holy knight's job was no secret, but there was still a few exclamations of surprise from above when she finished, "I bring to the holy Cathedral Princess Olivia Atkascha, Heir Presumptive, to claim her right of Sanctuary."

Olivia, having a sense of theatrics, pulled back her hood, looking coolly to the guards above. There was a quick moment of muttering before the guard called back, his voice tinted with nervousness, "It is an honor to house the Lady Oaks and Princess Atkascha. Open the gate!"

There was a low, deep rumbling as the giant gates slowly opened inward, and, within a minute, there was enough room for the party to pass the gateway. On the other side waiting them stood four knights, three flanking the leader, identified with a golden insignia. The officer immediately approached the group, his visor raised and face shown, speaking with an apprehensive smile, "Your Highness," the knight swooped down in a bow, "It is an honor. I am Sergeant Deacon; if you please, follow me, I will bring you to General Thorburn."

Agrias looked at the man critically, asking, "We come for no general. The Princess needs to speak with Cardinal Draclau immediately."

The knight shifted uncomfortably, refusing to look at the princess, who was casting her gaze regally around the grounds, "My… I apologize Lady Oaks, but my orders were to bring Princess Atkascha and her guard to the General."

"I understand, Sergeant." Olivia voice called out, her words almost dismissive. She had instinctively assumed her royal role; no longer was she the mud-stained traveler Olivia. She was again Princess Olivia. "Bring us to your General."

Deacon sighed with relief, bowing once again, "At once Your Highness. Please, follow me." He called out to a squire, telling the boy, "Take care of the Princess's chocobo." The boy, eyes wide, nodded, and he shuffled over to the bird, waiting for the princess to dismount. Ramza assisted Olivia, gently setting her on the ground; the princess gave a smile of thanks, and turned to the sergeant, giving him a nod. Once Deacon saw the signal, he gave again a small bow and turned, walking past his subordinates, flicking his hands at them subtly. The three men broke off, orders received, and disappeared around or within buildings. All noticed them leave, but only Agrias and Ramza noticed the slight movement. The holy knight turned her head, gazing back at the squire, sharing a confused look. Ramza gave a slight shrug, but mouthed one word at the holy knight, "careful."

Agrias held his gaze for a moment longer, then nodded, turning to see where Deacon was taking them. It was no place far or secret; past a few buildings held within the inner walls, all of the structures military in nature, and into a large complex, sitting within sight of the Cathedral. Within the compound, men were hustling about, all dressed sharply in uniform, rank clearly shown on their clothes. Deacon moved down a few hallways and stopped at a finely crafted door, knocking three times. From within the room, a muted, "Enter" called out. The Sergeant, face covered by a thin lair of sweat, and not from the heat, opened the door, allowing the group within.

Agrias entered the room slowly, and first, taking a cautious gaze around; it was large, able to hold ten times the number of people who crowded within. Sitting at the far wall, standing from a chair, was the general; he sharply walked over to the princess, kneeling, holding out his hand, saying, "Your Highness."

Olivia gently rested her hand onto his palm, gracing him with her touch; her hand only lingered for a moment, enough time to honor the tradition, before the knight stood stiffly, giving the group a chance to clearly see him. His clothing was cleanly cut and very tidy, not a crease present; he bore no weapons and only had a ceremonial breastplate, inlayed with silver and gold, weighing him down. Thorburn was heavily built, long years of fighting and war hardening his body, but only his mother would call him handsome. His face was heavily scarred from the pox, a disease from his childhood, and part of his left ear was gone, ripped out in a bar fight during his younger years. It was not his unpleasant face that caused Agrias to tense, but his eyes; they were beady eyes, irises so dark brown they seemed black, and they coldly glared at everyone in the room, devoid of any emotion. The general had no hint of a grin on his face, no hint of anything, and his body stayed taut; the holy knight knew this was a dangerous man.

"I understand you seek sanctuary here at the Glabados Cathedral, Your Highness?" Thorburn's words were crisp as he spoke, sharply turning to tromp back to his desk, lifting a scroll in his hands.

Olivia, along with Ramza and Agrias, although the two warriors did tense, showed no signs of intimidation, replying, "Yes, General, I seek the Cardinal at once. Why have I been lead, instead, to you?"

Thorburn turned his gaze from the parchment to the princess; Olivia had to suppress a shiver as his frosty gaze met hers, "I apologize, Your Highness, but Cardinal Draclau is currently… occupied. He is meditating, speaking out to Ajora, asking for His blessing and guidance. He will be in prayer until the morning, and he can not be interrupted."

Olivia slowly nodded, "I see…"

"As the Cardinal's advisor, I will see to your housing and comforts, until he is able to greet and speak with you," Thorburn continued abrasively, "Your presence is… unexpected, Your Highness. As we speak I have servants preparing up the Royal Wing. They should be done within a few minutes." There was a sudden knock on the door, causing a Belle and Alicia to turn their heads in surprise, not aware that the door had been closed, Deacon making his escape as soon as the princess had entered the general's room. Thorburn took no notice of the women's discomfort, saying, "Ah, just in time. Enter!"

The door opened, letting in another man, dressed in light body armor but carrying no weapons; he gave a sharp salute, saying in a slithery voice, "Lieutenant Ormond at your service, General."

Ormond was mostly what Thorburn was not; he was lightly built, probably nimble on his feet. His hair was black and long, running down to his mid back, and looked oily; while no scars tainted his features, his face wasn't handsome, or ugly. His eyes held the same intensity of the generals, but instead of being devoid of emotion, Ormond's stare carried hints of greed and desire. His gaze blatantly roamed over everyone, casually dismissing the two men, lingering the longest on the women, an unpleasant gleam in his eyes. When Belle felt the lieutenant's stare she shivered, taking a step behind Ramza, reaching out her hand to lightly grasp the squire's arm. Ramza, feeling her fear, moved to fully block her from the lieutenant's gaze, frowning at the man.

Thorburn, ignoring both Belle's and Ramza's reactions, spoke to his soldier, "At ease, Lieutenant. I need you to show Her Highness to the Royal Wing, along with her guard." His orders issued, Thorburn sat again, ruffling through some paperwork, effectively dismissing the entire room.

Ormond, whose gaze lingered past Ramza, to the woman who hid behind him, saluted again, "At once, Sir." He faced Olivia, bowing, his eyes resting on the floor in front of her, "You will be safe within your quarters in a matter of minutes, Your Highness. Please, follow me." With that, he straightened, resting his gaze for a moment upon Agrias. Under the man's momentary gaze, the holy knight knew why Belle had retreated from it; she somehow felt dirty as the lieutenant undressed her with his eyes. The connection did not last long, but not due to either of the two breaking it; Ramza suddenly moved forward, standing between the two, and started to approach Ormond, a small frown on his face. The lieutenant didn't want a confrontation, not when it wasn't on his terms, so he quickly turned, ignoring the squire, hastily leaving the room.

The party hesitated for a moment before they started to shuffle out of the door; Ormond waited for them in the hall, perhaps a dozen feet away, casually looking over his shoulder until everyone had left the office. Silently, with only a jerk of his head, he started off, walking down through the building. Agrias had the feeling that she was not the only one to dislike the man; it was Ramza's response to Ormond's actions that Agrias noticed primarily. Her eyes resting upon Ramza as they walked, the holy knight noticed that the squire's fist was tightly clenched, his body stiff, and, with Agrias walking to the side of him, she could see him glaring at Ormond, a hint of a fire in his eyes. Agrias felt a sudden rush as she realized the squire was restraining himself from decking the lewd man. She was sure if the coward hadn't retreated Ramza would be nursing a bruised fist at this moment, Ormond's nose probably broken. The thought brought a bubble of elation to the holy knight for some reason.

Thankfully Ormond made no effort to speak to his charges during the walk; the lieutenant led the small party out the barracks and to the massive, elaborate gates of the main castle. There was a slight delay at the gate, where Ormond showed the gatekeeper his orders, but in short time they were within the keep. Passing a plethora of maids and servants, with guards standing watch a score pace from the next, Ormond finally led them to a grand staircase in the eastern section of the castle. At the top of the stairs a dozen women stood, heads bowed, dressed in a simple uniform; one woman, in her later years, stepped forward as the group, lead by Ormond, settled at the top of the stairs. She gave an elegant curtsy, and in a no-nonsense tone addressed the lieutenant, "I will see to the Princess now, Lieutenant Ormond; the inner chambers are no place for an uncouth man."

Ormond's face soured as he stared at the older woman, "Matron Carmella. An… honor, as always." The matron straightened herself out at the man's words, staring back at the lieutenant, locked in a battle of wills, as the group watched in silence. The battle was short, with the matron victorious, Ormond lowering his gaze to the ground, a grimace on his face, and his voice irritated, "I was told by the General to see Her Highness to her quarters." His eyes flicked up for a second as he finished, "And, as you can see, Her Highness has two male guards. Are they denied entrance as well?"

A shadow of a grin spread on Carmella's face as she turned to casually glance at Ramza and Mustadio, both shifting embarrassingly under her scrutiny. Only a moment passed before the matron said, mockingly, "My dear boy, check your hearing; I said clearly that uncouth men are forbidden from the inner chambers." She turned to face the glowering man, her eyes gleaming with contempt, "And the only uncouth man I see stands before me."

There was a muffled growl from the lieutenant, his face ugly and red. Both Ramza and Mustadio, thinking Ormond would strike the grandmotherly woman, took a step forward, but their caution was unneeded. Suddenly, with a sharp salute and a quick turn, Ormond angrily stomped off, his boots ringing loudly down the hall, disappearing from sight. There was a heartbeat of silence, and then Carmella exhaled heavily, the maids giggling quietly. The matron turned to a very confused looking Ramza and Mustadio, saying warmly, "Aren't you two heroic, standing up for a little old lady like me self. Ormond is nothing to worry your handsome heads off for, though; he's all steam and no fire."

Turning from the blinking men, Carmella stepped forward and engulfed Olivia in a warm hug, "My dear, you must be exhausted from your travels." The matron took a step back, eying Olivia critically, "Your dress be in shambles, My Lady, and you look too thin. Let's get you out of those rags and put some food in your stomach." She turned her gaze to the rest of the women, "I dare say all of you need a new dress and meal." The matron ignored Agrias's blanch at the word 'dress', plowing on, "But first, after I get you all settled of course, comes a bath!"

Olivia, overwhelmed by the matron, could only squeak out an, "Um…"

Taking the princess's word for agreement, Carmella ushered the group past the door, as a mother chicken would herd her chicks, past the gateway; it was as if the group had entered a manor within the castle. The Royal Wing was enormous, containing a dozen chambers, including its own kitchen, dining room, and bathhouse. All but Agrias, Olivia, and Ramza gaped at the finery, hardly listening to the words Carmella spoke, the matron giving a run down of what the wing held. Passing by a private library and study with only a mention, and ignoring six other doors, Carmella moved the group into the common room, or entertainment room. Only the royal bedchambers outsized the common room, set along the eastern side of the castle, an elaborate glass window decorating the entire eastern wall. Gold inlayed glass doors opened to a balcony overlooking the pine covered mountains, rising along the eastern coast. The door to the bedchambers rested on the left wall, with three other doors on the right, two opening to a small, but luxurious, two-person room, and the other, furthest from the glass wall, in the corner of the room, the entrance to a collection of servant quarters.

Besides the common things one would see in an entertainment room, comfortable chairs and couches, small drink tables, desks with oil lanterns and other comforts, there were a few things that drew the group's attention. Mustadio spotted a chess table off in the far corner, easily recognizable by its checkered top, and Olivia gave a clap of delight at the various musical instruments resting in front of the glass wall. Exploration was put on hold as Carmella, summoning up her army of maids, issued out orders, and telling the group, "Princess Olivia's chambers are beyond that door there; you four," the matron pointed to Agrias, Alicia, Belle, and Lavian, "Two to each room. Come now, no dallying, drop your things off in your quarters and get dressed in the robes provided within. I'm having a bath drawn as we speak."

The four women, Olivia already drawn inside her chambers by three maids, hesitated, before Alicia grabbed Lavian, dragging the thief to one of the rooms. Belle gave Agrias a small smile, before going to the second door. Agrias hesitated, sharing a look with Ramza, who shrugged; Carmella cut off anything the holy knight might have said by speaking, "Shoo, lady knight, before the water gets cold."

Agrias nodded, led off by one of the maids, as Carmella turned to the men, taking a few relaxing breaths; Ramza took the moment to study the matron. She was getting on in her years, having seen more then fifty winters, but had the energy of someone decades younger. Her face was pleasant to look at, few wrinkles cracking her skin, and her hair was gray; she was probably a beauty in her early years. Thin and nimble, with a lion's spirit, Ramza could see why she was the matron; she ran her crew efficiently with an iron fist. Ramza immediately found the woman likable, and, with her fierce attitude and deft way she handled Ormond, he was sure everyone else would too.

"I was unaware old women drew the eyes of young lads these days," Carmella remarked, catching Ramza staring at her, drawing some giggles from the remaining maids.

Ramza, ignoring his reddening face, and a snort from Mustadio, didn't miss a beat, giving a deep bow, "My eyes only see a beautiful woman before me, m'lady."

"Hmmm, looks like this one has a quick wit about him." Carmella replied after a moment, a smile on her face, giving the maids time to finish their twittering. The matron turned her gaze to Mustadio, who was staring at the squire, eyebrow raised in amusement, "You can learn a thing from this one, lad." Carmella gave a warm laugh as Mustadio, startled by the sudden attention, stuttered, a blush rising to his own face.

Chortling subsiding, the matron continued, "I bet you boys be wondering where you'll be bunking down," she paused to look at the two, both hiking their packs and shifting, "done ye worry, Carmella has room for you all." The matron moved to the far door, opening it to expose a hallway, multiple doors lining the corridor. She walked to the first door, opening it, "This wing had not been used for many years, not since King Omdoria, God bless him, visited over a decade ago. Usually the guards stay within the barracks, but this be a unique occasion; your pretty lasses are bedding where the royal advisors would stay, and you lads will be placed within these servant quarters." Carmella moved aside, letting the room come into view; it was very small, but comfortable, consisting of only a down bed, its bedspread absent, a stout trunk to store belongings, and a small desk, complete with a backed wooden chair. The absence of activity was obvious, a small layer of dust covering the room.

"Your Princess arrived unannounced, so I had little time to prepare; only Her Highness's room and the two advisor rooms were cleaned and set in time." Carmella gave a smile, opening the door opposite the one open, revealing an identical room, "We womenfolk have much cleaning up to do, so I'll leave your rooms to you." The grin turned mischievous as two of her maids circled from behind her, one holding sheets and the other two sets of brooms, bins, bottles, and rags.

Mustadio gave a groan, accepting, reluctantly, the sheets, while Ramza gave a laugh, deftly plucking the cleaning items out of the second maid's arms. The matron patted both their shoulders, and left, followed by the maids, leaving the two men alone. Mustadio sighed again, saying, "Isn't it their job to do this?"

Ramza shrugged, "It was rude of us to come unannounced, and it's only a little cleaning; it won't kill you." He chuckled at the mechanic's elaborated groaning, Mustadio picking up the boom and bin, facing a dusty room, mimicked by the squire. They paused, each facing their chosen room, and looked back at one another; both shrugged, and clacking their brooms together, said, "To battle."


	15. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 14

**Author Notes:** Here is the next chapter, I do hope you enjoy.

Just a few things I want to point out; one, yes, I will be finishing this story. It will take a long (long) time, but it will be done. I know there are slow moments, but I hope they aren't too troublesome to read through. So, please, patience; I know my update 'schedule' is frustrating. But, hey, they are long chapters, that's gotta count for something. Two, I warn you of the cliche; even my story will have cliche moments, very few tales are without them. I hope you will just take them as they come, and enjoy the fantasy of the tale.

As always, feel free to review, positive or negitive, I enjoy the feedback.

* * *

As the two men started their struggle against dust and dirt, the women were busy removing their worn armor and clothing in favor of comfortable silken robes laid out by the maids. Alicia and Lavian emerged from their room first, followed shortly by Agrias and Belle, who had a few silent and awkward moments staring at each other before the two older women changed. The four waited within the entertainment room for the princess, taking the time to gaze at the furnishings in more detail to pass the time. Agrias, only mildly impressed with the elaborate decorations, as she was used to this kind of splendor, gazed to the far door; it didn't take much to deduce that the quarters that lay behind the door was probably where Ramza and Mustadio were lodged. Agrias started to the door, partly out of curiosity, as she heard faint noises from behind the door, but before the holy knight could reveal the secrets behind the barrier, Olivia finally exited her room.

Like magic, Matron Carmella suddenly appeared in their midst, calling out, "Excellent, we're all good and ready. Come now, Ladies, let's get you washed and scrubbed." With the help of her maid army, one of whom intercepted Agrias, the matron led the five robed women down the main hall; as the princess and her escorts were contained within the Royal Wing, all of the luxuries were contained within the large complex, so it took only a few minutes for the women to enter the bathing chamber. Within the damp room, two pools were cut into the floor, both about waist deep, one much larger than the other. The larger pool was the hot bath, oval in shape and elegantly crafted, about a dozen feet from end to end, a slow steam rising from the water's surface; the smaller pool, a simple five foot square, was the cold bath. Both were to be used, first the hot to wash, then the cold to rinse.

Carmella gave a small clap, telling the five women, "Alright ladies, disrobe and enjoy your soak. I'll be leaving Mary, Denise, and Wanda here, in case you need anything or require assistance with your wash." The matron pointed out three maids, who were lined up against the wall, smiling slightly as they were called on, "and take advantage of our scented soaps. I'm sure some of you want to smell nice and pretty for your men folk."

The women gave a small chuckle, with a blush touching a few cheeks, and quickly removed their silken outfits, handing them off to waiting maids' hands. Olivia was the first to enter the bath, sighing with pleasure as she slowly lowered herself into the pool, softly calling out, "Oh Agrias, the water is perfect."

The princess's words were all that was needed for the rest; soon all five were lying within the warm water, soaking their dirty skin, and soothing their tired muscles. For a few minutes there was only the sound of splashing water, as the five women drifted or sat upon the underwater shelf, enjoying themselves.

Breaking the silence, Carmella said, "I'm leaving, Ladies, Highness. When you have finished your bath, inform one of my maids, so we can fetch robes for you to dry off with. A new set of dresses will be awaiting you in your rooms when you are done." The matron gave a curtsy, "By your leave."

Olivia nodded her farewells to the matron, turning her attention to the soaking women. Smiling at the sight of all the worries and stress leaving her friends' faces as they relaxed, Olivia followed suit, leaning back and closing her eyes, drowsing. After nearly and hour of calm soaking, with little or no talk, the princess deemed it time to actually clean herself; the other women followed suit, and soon all were scrubbing their skin with soft brushes and cleaning their hair with scented soap. Olivia refused the maids' offer to help her wash, instead insisting that the three women relax and join them by the pools edge, adding their voices to the conversations drifting above the water. With all the time spent in the bath, surprisingly few minutes were used fulfilling the bath's purpose; in short time the five travelers had scrubbed themselves pink, smelling of lavender. Invigorated and energized from the lively activity, all the women turned to the females' favorite pastime: gossip.

That wasn't exactly true, actually; one voice was absent from the chatter. Although she had always preferred more productive activities, Agrias did enjoy the occasional game of gab; just not today. Her mind had not calmed like her body, and she didn't want to deal with what styles were in or what prince was dating whom, so she let herself drift a little away from the rest, falling into a light doze. She wasn't sure how she did it, perhaps it was the knowledge that she was, finally, truly clean, but the calm atmosphere and warm water did eventually calm her busy mind, making the minutes drag, and her eyes droop. If not for Lavian's voice calling out to her, Agrias would have experienced a most embarrassing feat of falling asleep in the bath.

"What do you think, Agrias?"

There was a small splash as the holy knight jerked herself awake, sitting up suddenly; she sputtered, unladylike, blinking owlishly at the bosomy woman, "Huhng?"

There was a moment of silence before the giggles started, Agrias glaring at Lavian, who was holding in her own laughter; the startled woman was not amused, but not really angry. It served her right, honestly, letting herself drift into sleep. Agrias splashed her face, partly to wake and partly to cover her heated cheeks, muttering, "What?"

Olivia replied, as Lavian was still fighting her laughter, "We want to know your opinion, Agrias. Lavian insisted she make it a contest, I had to abstain of course, so your, um, vote, so to say, will be the tiebreaker."

Agrias remained silent for a moment, eyebrow arched, confused; the other women were staring at her intently, Lavian a small, secretive grin on her face and Alicia's eyes wide, waiting on her answer. Not having a clue what the princess was talking about, she asked, "Pardon? My opinion of what?"

Lavian's eyes gleamed as she leaned forward, grinning mischievously, "Of Ramza and Mustadio, of course."

-------

*Hahc-CHOO*

"Bless you," Mustadio said, watching Ramza rub his nose, trying to clear the dust that had gotten trapped inside.

"Thanks," replied Ramza, setting down his broom and bin, sitting on his newly cleaned, but still unmade, bed. Strange; sure, there was dust, but both men were careful to keep the annoying particles under control, as there was little ventilation, being a single narrow channel that led up in the cramped servants' quarters. Ramza shrugged, and, after a moment's rest, got his beddings from the hall, diligently dressing the bed.

Mustadio had finished before the squire, and was sitting in the hall, leaning up against the cool stone wall; sweaty, dirty, and bored, the mechanist was looking forward to a bath, or further exploration of the suite. He called to the squire, "Aren't you done yet? What are you doing, knitting your own quilt?"

"Some of us prefer a bed that was made, not one with blankets strewn on it," Ramza calmly replied, tucking in his sheets.

Mustadio snorted, "They'll just get messy when I sleep in them tonight. Why bother?"

Ramza paused, shrugged, and finished his chore, nodding with satisfaction, joining his friend in the hall, "Point taken; I just find my cadet training, hmm, difficult to ignore."

Mustadio stood, dusting his pants off, and grabbed his used cleaning supplies, "I wouldn't know, really. My father never made me make my bed when I was young; he found it as useless as I do."

Ramza grinned, retrieving his own supplies, "To each their own, but didn't your mother have a problem with an unmade bed?"

Mustadio shifted, shrugging, "I wouldn't know. Mother died when I was a babe."

Ramza's face fell, suddenly feeling awkward, "I'm sorry Mustadio."

"Don't be," Mustadio shrugged again, putting a wry grin on his face, "I don't really remember her. I have my father, and that's all I need. He's a good man."

Ramza stared at the mechanist's face, looking for hints of remorse; finding none, the squire smiled softly, "It was still insensitive of me, and I should have known better, I know what it's like growing up without a mother."

Mustadio shifted uncomfortably, "Its fine, and I'm fine; let's leave it at that."

Ramza nodded and started to the door that opened into the entertainment room, "I hope the bath will be available."

Mustadio nodded, asking the squire, "If the women aren't done bathing, how about a game of chess?" the man grinned, a childish excitement in his eyes.

Ramza shrugged, and started to reply while opening the door; his words were cut off as the door revealed a grinning Carmella, who asked immediately upon seeing them, "All done cleaning your rooms, lads?"

The two men halted, stopping short; Mustadio replied, "Yes ma'am."

The elderly woman clapped her hands with joy, exclaiming, "Oh that's wonderful! This means we can start with the other jobs earlier than I thought!"

Mustadio's face fell, and he whimpered out, "Other jobs?"

The matron gave a charming smile, "Why yes! There are boxes to be stacked, furniture to be fixed, and barrels to be moved, for starters."

"B-but…" croaked out Mustadio, starting to object.

Carmella was well prepared for the young man, however; before Mustadio could continue his words, the matron's face fell, a pout quivering on her worn lips, eyes widening, and she simpered, "I certainly hope young, strong men like yerselves wouldn't allow an old woman to struggle with these harsh, difficult labors, would ye?"

There was a laugh from Ramza, who put his hand on Mustadio's shoulder, telling the man, "You're fighting a losing battle, my friend." The squire ignored the mechanist's mutterings of 'slave driver', telling the matron, "We wouldn't dream of troubling you with such hard labor; it would be our pleasure to assist you and your maids."

Face lighting up immediately, the woman replied, "My, how noble of ye two." She turned, leading them to their next destination, gaily telling them, "Oh, it not be much, really; I'm sure that two strapping lads like you will be finished in no time."

--------

Lavian's question hung in the warm bathroom air, Agrias freezing at the words; staring at her friend, she choked out, "Excuse me?"

"Oh, stop stalling Agrias!" Alicia called, unable to remain quiet, "We want to know which one you _fancy_."

Unbidden, images of Ramza's face flashed through Agrias's mind, causing her to break out of her paralysis as she shook them from her head. Hoping her face was calm, which, to the delight of the other woman, it wasn't, she responded, "I will do no such thing!"

"Don't be such a spoil sport, Agrias," Lavian said, deftly sliding to the holy knights opposite side, slinging an arm around her shoulder, preventing her from escaping, "It just in good fun. We all picked our preference already." Lavian pointed, "Denise, Wanda, and I prefer Mustadio, with his tight ass and sleek stride," she paused at her crude words, bringing blushes to most faces, Agrias trying to wiggle out of Lavian's grasp. Lavian only clamped on tighter, her voice teasing, "While Mary, Belle, and our little Alicia enjoy gazing at Ramza's strong arms and back."

Agrias started, looking at Belle, her eyes questioning, ignoring Lavian, who was teasing the young wizard; the chemist, the color on her face deepening at the holy knight's stare, shrugged, and broke her gaze. Her mind starting to buzz at the information, but had no time to process her thoughts; a sudden, strong need to avoid the question burned in her stomach, and Agrias switched tactics, "Olivia is taking no part of your game, and neither will I."

"That's not true," Olivia said quietly. Agrias, who was lightly grappling with Lavian, stopped her struggle, staring at the princess with surprise and, faintly, betrayal. Olivia only smiled at her friend's tortured face, saying, "I only stated that I abstained from the game; everyone knows that a princess's words count higher then others, so, in fairness, I withdrew my vote."

Agrias waited for Olivia to continue, but the princess was quite content remaining silent, watching the holy knight, a gleam in her eye. Agrias was tempted to growl at the princess in frustration; Olivia knew what she wanted to know, but remained silent. The holy knight muttered, "You're going to make me ask, aren't you?"

Olivia smiled sweetly, nodding.

Agrias gave a small huff, breaking free of Lavian's grasp, but making no move to leave; a few speculative heartbeats passed. Agrias could remain silent if she wanted to, and stubbornly refuse to speak another word, but found herself curious in Olivia's answer. It was immature, certainly, but a small part of the holy knight wanted to know if he was thought of in high regard. In the end, Agrias's curiosity got the better of her and, with a sigh, she asked quietly, "…Who did you pick?"

Olivia grinned, tilting her head in a far away look, a finger resting lightly on her lips; she spoke airily, "You know, those two were the only choices in Lavian's game. 'Of the two, who do you fancy?'… I don't find either unpleasant to look at, but neither really fit what I'm looking for." Olivia paused for a moment, fueling Agrias's frustration. Her words to the holy knight were true; Olivia had already seen someone who had caught her eye, a man in golden armor and wavy brown hair. "You shouldn't take things so seriously, Agrias; were not asking you if you _love_ one of them." Olivia smirked at Agrias's reddening face, "But, if I had to fancy one of them, it'd be… Ramza. Wouldn't you agree?"

Agrias blinked; Olivia had, in one cunning swoop, let Agrias know that she knew what Agrias had been holding in, but gave the holy knight a way out of this embarrassing game. Not sure whether to be angry or relieved, Agrias chose the latter, sharing a small smile of thanks with the princess, saying, "Um, yes. If the two are my _only_ choices, and it just a matter of whom I'd _fancy_ more, I'd agree with Olivia." There was some giggling at the confession; Lavian made a show of looking disappointed, although her smile said otherwise, while Alicia shared a bashful smile with the holy knight. Agrias grunted, turning her attention to the knight turned thief, "There, I played your game. What was the point?"

Lavian laughed, "There was no point. Can't a girl be curious?"

Agrias splashed Lavian, growling, but her anger held no weight; she even had the grace to laugh at herself, before telling the princess, "I think we're done here, wouldn't you say Olivia?"

The young noble nodded, taking a moment to gaze at her hands and skin; no trace of dirt remained on her body, and her fingers were well wrinkled, "Agreed. Mary, would you be so kind to fetch our robes while we rinse in the cold bath?"

"Of course Your Highness." Mary stood, speaking to Denise, "Fetch the buckets while I get the robes."

In short time, the five women hopped into the cold water, a few squeaking at the sudden change in temperature, and used the buckets given by Denise to rinse off with, running the cold water down their heads and backs. As the cold bath was nowhere near as pleasurable as the hot, no one lingered, and after a few minutes all were wrapped in soft, fluffy cotton robes. By the time Carmella joined them and led them back to the common room, a few hours had passed since they had arrived in Lionel; Carmella kindly told them, "I know the lunch hour is long past, so I've prepared a light sup for your pleasure. In a few hours' time I'll have the dining room set for the evening meal, so, please, enjoy yourselves until then." The matron paused for a moment as two maids swept Olivia into her chamber; once gone, the gray-haired woman continued, "Your," she gave a small cough, "_worn_ clothing is being cleaned and repaired, if possible. Within your rooms you will find a simple set of evening wear; I do believe our tailors got your measurements right, but inform me if it is otherwise."

The four women nodded, Lavian grinning with the thought of some late lunch; they didn't have time for a full meal this afternoon, and were only able to munch on some dried jerky, so everyone was hungry. Knowing that someone else must be hungry as well, Lavian asked, "Where are Mustadio and Ramza?"

Carmella, who was starting to leave the room, turned with a grin, "Your men were kind enough to assist me with a few, hmm, light chores; they will, shortly, be bathing, and will join ye soon."

Lavian nodded, sharing a look with Agrias, Belle and Alicia having already entered their rooms to change. The holy knight shrugged, gave a small wave, and went to her room to change out of her damp robe. Within her shared room, Belle had already discarded her wet clothing, stepping into a fine, silvery dress. Agrias never had favored dresses, preferring the easier movement and comfort of pantaloons, but had to admire the elegant attire; when Carmella said simple, she must have meant in design. It was straightforward, with no ruffles or decorations, showed a modest cleavage, and hugged the chemist's body in a most alluring way. It looked to be made of light cotton with a silken cover, skillfully woven to the firmer material, giving the dress the exotic sheen of silk while keeping the modesty of cotton.

The smile that found itself on Agrias's face suddenly fled, a tickling of alarm rising up through her spine. Eyes wide, she took a few hurried steps to her bed, and stared in horror at what lay upon her blankets, neatly displayed, as though mocking her.

It was a black dress.

Agrias moaned in dismay; there had been only a handful of times since childhood that she had worn a dress, but that was only the top layer of this cruel joke.

"It's black."

Agrias turned around at Belle's voice, who was gazing upon the unworn dress with a mixture of amusement and something else, something that Agrias's flustered mind couldn't decipher. The holy knight stammered, "Y-yea? So?"

Belle didn't answer immediately, gazing into Agrias's eyes for a moment, her face unreadable. Again, something flashed in her eyes, but was gone when the chemist broke into a mischievous grin, her eyebrow rising, "I'm sure he won't remember."

Agrias blushed; turning back to the dress and eyeing it warily. She was blushing all the time now ever since Ramza had joined them; by Ajora, it was getting annoying. The holy knight heard the door open and close, as Belle left, no doubt to sit on the soft pillows, telling whoever was out there about Agrias's predicament. She sighed heavily; this was foolish of her. It's only a dress, after all, nothing to get flustered about. Resolved, although still blushing, Agrias shed her robe and slipped into the gown. She growled with frustration as she finished dressing; if there had been just one hint of the dress not fitting right, she would have immediately asked for another, or for a pair of decent pants. Unfortunately for the holy knight, the tailor was exceptionally skilled, and the dress fit like it was made for the woman. Shifting a few times, trying to get used to the unusual, however enchanting, feeling of the garment, Agrias sighed in resignation. Slipping on a set of slippers, she entered the common room, willing the blood out of her cheeks.

Near the glass wall, next to the various instruments, heads together, sat Belle, Lavian, and Alicia; the wizard in a deep green gown, while the thief's attire a pleasant maroon. They broke apart as Agrias joined them on a soft pillow, the two ex knights giggling, Lavian commenting, "Nice dress."

Agrias glared at the thief, saying, "Quiet, you."

Lavian shrugged, laughter dying out, and leaned back, burying herself in the pillows, sighing contently. A content stillness hung over the four as they waited for the princess or food; both arrived at the same time, Olivia exiting her room, the maids following, dressed in a royal purple gown with golden inlay as four more maids entered the entertainment room, each carrying a tray filled with sweet breads, cheeses, fruit, and tender meat. Lavian's stomach growled, causing the woman to blush. Taking that as permission, the five women dug in, enjoying their light meal.

Lavian, munching on some soft cheese, sighed around it, "All we need now is entertainment; where's Mustadio when he's needed?"

-------

The man in question groaned with fatigue, glaring daggers at the matron's back; Carmella had worked the two men hard, stocking up the kitchen and fixing the dining room furniture. Mustadio, walking with an exaggerated limp, turned to Ramza, and whined quietly, "That bully worked me to death!"

Ramza nodded, and tried to cheer the mechanist up, "The bath is free, though. That's something." In truth, Ramza was just as tired as his friend, but chose not to complain about it. The work they did wasn't overwhelming, but strenuous for only two people. The antique furniture had to be carefully repaired, Mustadio wielding the tools while Ramza delicately balanced or held the heavy wood. Stocking the kitchen was mind-numbing labor, giving little chance to speak beyond an occasional grunt. But that work was behind them, Carmella giving hearty thanks and informing them that the bath had been rinsed and refilled in preparation for the men's turn. With many smiles, both from the matron and the maids that they scuffled past, Ramza and Mustadio finally arrived to their long awaited destination.

Turning to face her conscripted help, Carmella told them warmly, "Strip and we'll see your clothes cleaned and repaired, if they can be."

Mustadio staggered to a halt, glancing down the hall then back to the matron, asking, "Here?"

The elderly woman arched an eyebrow, replying, "Yes?"

Face going red, the mechanic exclaimed, "We can't do that! We're in the middle of the hall!" he pointed to his left, where a maid stood, taking care of some forgotten cleaning, "And there are women everywhere!" Mustadio accentuated his words by moving his pointed hand to Carmella, then quickly to an open doorway, where three heads could be seen peaking out of the cracked entrance.

The matron laughed, "Frightened of some women looking at your pale behind?"

Mustadio sputtered, glaring at Ramza, who was holding back his own laughter; the mechanist choked out, "That's indecent!"

"Alright, lad, calm down," Carmella said, once her own guffaws quieted, "Enter the bath, strip, hide under the water if ye must, and I'll come in to get the clothing." Mustadio stopped his protest, gave her words a quick thought over, and nodded, his face calming. She gave a warm chuckle, reaching up to pat his face lightly, "Ah, the energy of youth!"

Ramza slid by her, grabbing Mustadio along the way, before the mechanist could react, dragging the stuttering man into the bath, closing the door quietly. There was some faint laugher from the hall, Carmella calling through it, "I'll give ye a few minutes to hide before I come in with your towels."

Both men did what the matron asked, and slipped into the warm water, just as the door opened, letting Carmella in; she set towels on the ground and picked up the discarded clothing, telling the men, "Take your time, lads. I've a light sup being served to the ladies, and have no more chores for ye." She gave a soft smile, "Again, you have my thanks, lads. It do be unusual to ask help from guests, but I appreciate what you've done."

"It was our pleasure," Mustadio mumbled out, drawing a surprised glance from Ramza; he turned to the squire, grunting, "What? I can be willing to help and complain about it at the same time if I want to!"

Ramza laughed, telling Carmella, "As he said, it was our pleasure. We won't be long, and I hope that we will have some fresh clothing waiting for us."

Carmella nodded, "Aye, you'll have a fresh pair provided by our tailor awaiting ye in your room. Enjoy your bath." With a light curtsy, and merry grin, the matron left, leaving the two men alone in the enormous bathroom.

Unlike the women who occupied this room a little while ago, Ramza and Mustadio did not linger in the warm water; each getting the first bar of soap they came across, giving a sniff to determine if it was acceptable, they immediately scrubbed the dirt, dust, and sweat off of their skin and hair; within ten minutes they were done, both feeling refreshed. After spending a few chilly minutes in the cold bath to rinse, they deemed it time to leave, the small growl from their stomachs helping in that decision.

Ramza, out of the water first, moved to the towels left behind from the matron; he unfolded his towel, after sending the first to Mustadio, staring at it for a second before laughing.

Mustadio, removing his towel from where it landed, upon his head, looked at Ramza oddly until he mimicked the squire's action. He sighed, muttering to Ramza, "That lady has it out for us, doesn't she?"

"She's just out to have a little fun, and we've made ourselves targets," Ramza replied, using the peculiarly small towel to pat himself dry; no longer soaking, the squire took the cloth and wrapped it around his waist, glancing down at it, sighing, "Although, this is a bit much, no?"

Mustadio just shook his head, a blush already on his face, muttering, "Let's just get this over with and change into some decent clothing!"

Ramza nodded; he wasn't as embarrassed as the mechanist, even though the towel was awkwardly small. Wrapped up, the cloth only went down half way to his knees, and could not be tied around his waist, so they'd have to continually grab the towel, lest it fall down. Neither a nudist, nor an overbearing conservative, Ramza had been in states of nakedness in the past, so the thought of his bits being seen wasn't intimidating; this didn't mean that he'd have preferred a larger towel, however. Giving a small shrug to the mechanist, Ramza opened the door; as expected, when the men left the bathroom a few of the maids had lined the wall, cleaning some imaginary dust off of the pictures or end tables that lined the hall. They didn't say anything inappropriate, only giggling slightly, as the two men walked to the common room.

Within the large room, the five women were partaking in the light sup, drinking water or wine, and talking amiably about little. After she had shown the men where to bathe, Carmella had reentered the entertainment room, Olivia graciously inviting the elder to join them. The matron complied, taking a seat where she could conveniently watch the entrance, snaking on some of the foods that her maids brought. Not long after the matron had joined them a half dozen maids barged into the room, faces red, scurrying to their matron, watching the doors intently.

Agrias, along with all of her friends, found the maids' behavior slightly odd, but thought little of it, until a moment later, when the door opened again. The reason for the maids' tittering was apparent when Mustadio and Ramza, covered by just a small scrap of cloth, entered the room. Due to the women's entrance seconds before, all heads were already turned in the direction of the door, and the two men were not expecting to be stared upon by a dozen people the moment they entered the room. Like startled prey, they froze.

All but Olivia had already seen Ramza in a state of undress, Lavian teasing the man mercilessly for it, but this was the first time Mustadio was defenseless before them. There were obvious differences between the two men; Ramza was taller by about half a foot, the squire only a few inches short of six feet, while Mustadio was shorter then Alicia, the smallest female of the group. While Ramza had the chiseled arms, legs and torso, covered with old and new scars, Mustadio was less defined; not soft, per se, but less bulky. The mechanist's muscles were toned, but built for agility, not power. While Ramza had his own kind of grace, he seemed like a bull compared to Mustadio's nimble stride. Ramza's stomach was hard, where Mustadio's was soft, the mechanic's belly slightly round. It was obvious that Mustadio spent most of his time indoors, his skin lacking the bronze of being baked under the sun.

As the women were shamelessly inspecting the men, the two males were staring back, admiring their attire; this was the first time any of the women, aside from Olivia, were dressed in gowns. The princess was no fighter, and wore her increasingly tattered dress during their travel, and the other women had worn simple, loose pants and shirts for evening wear before, so it wasn't the absence of armor that was different. The gowns hugged their bodies, accentuation their bosoms, and changed the way Ramza and Mustadio looked at them; they looked vulnerable, not in a weak fashion, where they needed to be rescued, but they had a sensual vulnerability about them, reminding the two men that they were most obviously, and pleasantly, women.

A few heartbeats passed in silence, not even Lavian cracking a lewd joke, her eyes hungrily roaming over Mustadio's body; Carmella broke the stillness, quietly calling out to the two lads, "You'll find a nice pair of shirt and slacks in your room, boys."

The words broke the enchantment holding the two men still, as it disenchanted Lavian's mischievous mouth; ignoring a loud whistle and catcall from the thief, Ramza, his face only slightly deepening, thanked the matron, who wore her own grin, and, hitting Mustadio lightly on the arm to jumpstart the embarrassed man, retreated to the servant's quarters, followed closely by the mechanist. Safe behind the door, the two sighed; Mustadio quipping, "That went well."

"At least we did not make bigger fools of ourselves, as the towels remained where they are." Ramza replied, moving to his room to change.

Mustadio shuddered, "That would have been horrible." Images of his towel falling to Lavian's laughter bubbled up in Mustadio's mind; that would have crushed the man, as he was fond of the thief. Shuddering once more time, he retired to his own room, quickly changing into the simple outfit left for him. He nodded with approval; the clothing fit well and felt clean. The pants were a dark black, made of light cotton, and felt soft on his clean skin, while the short sleeved shirt was a deep blue, made of the same material.

Ramza, already changed and wearing the same outfit as the mechanist, gave a nod when Mustadio joined him, leading them both back to the common room; they were met with only a few giggles as they joined the women, taking seats on the large pillows that lay on the floor, Mustadio settling himself down next to Lavian, who whispered loudly, 'I liked your other outfit,' causing a small uproar of giggles, while Ramza took a seat next to Olivia, telling the princess politely, "That dress looks lovely on you, M'lady."

Not expecting the complement, Olivia could not stop the blush that rushed to her cheeks; she raised a hand to cover the traitorous flesh and replied, "Flatterer," pausing she glanced at Agrias, sitting across from the two, who had a carefully constructed impassive face on; grinning, Olivia continued, "I think that Agrias's dress is much more fetching, wouldn't you agree?"

Agrias's face cracked at the princess's words, her eyes darting to Olivia, startled at being put into the spotlight; noticing movement from the squire, she instinctively moved her gaze to him, eyes widening as he leaned forward, staring at the holy knight, an inquisitive look on his face. She repressed as shiver as he ran his eyes over her body, giving a soft smile. His inspection done, he turned his head to Olivia to reply, his eyes still locked onto the holy knight's, however, "Yes, she looks lovely."

The holy knight blushed under his gaze, relieved and disappointed that he did not remember Lavian's 'warning'. Or, if he did, he showed no concerns about it; she couldn't tell, but the squire did seem in a good mood, as he roguishly winked at her when he noticed her face redden. Unable to stay under his intense gaze, she moved her eyes, turning her head demurely; Ramza enjoyed the uncharacteristic softness of the slight movement. His grin widedend, and he replied to her unexpected action with one of his own; speaking merrily, he let his gaze wander over the other women, his eyes not leering, but bright with mischief, "Mustadio and I are honored and awed by the beauty surrounding us this evening."

Carmella laughed, "Alright smooth-talker, keep your sweet words until I leave, lest I be drowned in sugar." Ramza flashed a playful grin to the matron, nodding, ignoring a hiss of 'Way to make me look bad!' from Mustadio; the elder shook her head, lightly saying, "Youth." She stood, addressing Olivia, "I'll inform you when the evening meal is ready. I've been informed that Cardinal Draclau will see you in the morning, after breakfast. Until then, please enjoy yourselves, and don't hesitate to ask for anything." She curtsied elegantly, "By your leave, Highness." After a casual wave from Olivia, Carmella left, leaving the group.

A few minutes of awkwardness hung in the air at the matron's departure, but cleared up once Olivia prompted a conversation. For a while they chatted, finishing up the late lunch that was brought to them; eating done, and getting bored, Mustadio stood to investigate the room in greater detail. The mechanist's excuse from the food was the excuse for all, the women moving from the floor pillows to the sturdier, yet still comfortable, couches and tables, looking out through the glass wall at the mountains outside. Ramza joined Mustadio in exploration, but unlike the mechanist, who moved immediately to the elegant chess board, the squire moved to the selection of musical instruments settled between the couches and windows.

Ramza, unaware that he was being watched, let his gaze linger over the musical equipment; there was a rather large selection. Three instruments, being the largest and most prominent, drew his eyes first; a grand piano, standing harp, and bass violin stood next to one another, all looking recently cleaned and polished. Settled next to the imposing music makers were smaller instruments; a simple flute, ocarina, lute, mandolin, and a silver cornet. All were excellently crafted, as one would expect in a royal setting, but one instrument caught his eye. He hesitated only a moment before he grasped the lute, pulling it close to inspect the wooden instrument. It was old, made of a dark, almost black wood, and just a few inches longer then a regular lute; normally, lutes were crafted with six courses, or eleven strings, but this black wood lute had a rare seventh course.

Ramza whistled softly in admiration, carefully turning the lute over in his hands, not noticing that Olivia was carefully studying the squire. Ramza was about to put the lute down when he spotted some writing, small and faded, on the bottom of the lute. Curious, he brought the lute close, trying to decipher the word carved in the wood; using his fingertips to help, he read the word, "C. Milano…" The squire paused; that sounded familiar. Thinking hard for a moment, his old schooling kicked in, and he hissed, eyes widening with surprise. 'C. Milano', or Canova da Milano, was one of the, if not the most, skilled lutist, composer, and luthier known to history. History tells that Milano crafted only a few dozen lutes in his lifetime, but one, his personal lute, was made from a black wood known as Godwood. Ramza stared with disbelief at the instrument in his hands; he was holding Milano's Lute, an item thought lost decades ago. Awed that he held a priceless antique in his hands, he was more curious, and concerned, how such an object would come into a church official's possession.

"Do you play?"

The question put an immediate halt on Ramza's pondering, as he turned his gaze from the lute to Olivia, who had spoken. She had a grin on her face and her eyes were glinting, waiting for the squire's reply, a reply that never came. Olivia didn't need it, after all; she could tell by the way he held the lute, the way his fingers were familiar with the instrument that he knew how to work it. Taking his silence as affirmation, the princess squeaked with glee, clapping her hands together, "You do! Oh, play for us, would you?"

At Olivia's words, the other women turned their attention to the squire, some curious and some excited about the man's newly discovered skill; Ramza shifted under their gaze, not really wanting to play the lute. It had been over a year since he had picked one up, and was probably rusty at it. He was saved the decision by Mustadio, who, not hearing the princess's request, called to the squire, "Ramza, how about a game or two of chess, to pass the time?"

Olivia, seeing Ramza's avoidance, compromised, telling the squire, "After dinner, then. Perhaps your music will inspire Agrias to pick up the harp, hmm?" She smiled at the squire, who continued to stare at her, feeling left out of this decision. Laughing, she repeated herself, "You will play for me after dinner, won't you, Ramza?"

Ramza sighed, giving up; nodding, he told Olivia, "Yes, after dinner I will play some music. Be warned, though, it has been a while since I've held a lute."

Olivia nodded, replying, "It's been much longer then a while since I've heard Agrias pluck the harp." She ignored Agrias's scowl.

Ramza nodded again, looking at the slightly embarrassed holy knight; he didn't know she played the harp. That made him pause; he didn't know a lot about her. For some reason, that didn't settle well with him; he wanted to know more about Agrias. Hearing Mustadio call to him again, he placed those thoughts on hold, bowing slightly to Olivia, before joining the mechanist at the chess table, where Mustadio had already set up the chess board, sitting on the white side. Ramza grinned, sat down, and waited for Mustadio to make his first move.

Back with the women, Agrias was lightly chastising Olivia, who was stubbornly ignoring the holy knight's words. Agrias didn't think that Olivia should be sharing these details about her, but her complaints fell on deaf ears, as Olivia quickly turned back to speaking with the other women. Sighing in defeat, Agrias only half listened into the conversation, something about perfumes, and was quickly growing bored; turning her gaze to the men, she saw that they were in an enthusiastic discussion, not speaking loudly, but both animated as they talk, taking times to pause as they moved a chess piece. It wasn't until the women's conversation turned to dresses and dress styles that Agrias excused herself, moving over to watch the chess game, something that interested her.

The holy knight enjoyed chess; it took skilled tactics and intuition to read your opponent to win. She had been playing since a little girl, so was quite skilled, although no master in the game. She knew that Mustadio was very intelligent, and had seen hints of Ramza's tactical mind, so she thought she'd witness a great game. Grabbing a spare stool, she dragged it over to the chess board and took a seat on the side, between the two men. The two, who were speaking of sports, paused their conversation to look at the unannounced visitor. She gave a smile and waived them off, telling them, "Ignore me; Please, continue."

After a shared glance, they shrugged and did so, although they spoke with subdued animation, stealing occasional glances at the holy knight. Agrias, on the other hand, was stoutly ignoring their conversation, watching the chess board; at first excitement was in her eyes, but as the game progressed, her enthusiasm was replaced with annoyance. This was no epic game unfolding before her eyes! She watched the two men compete, and was quickly able to deduce each of their playing styles; Mustadio had potential. He would initiate the beginnings of clever traps or risky attacks, but would continuously stop half way through. He had the intelligence for chess, that was clear, but he didn't seem to have the capability to follow through with his plans. It was irritating to the holy knight, who started to progressively mutter complaints, at first quiet, but gaining volume as the minutes passed.

Mustadio was not the only one to invoke Agrias's ire; Ramza's game play was equally frustrating, in that there was none! Ramza's moves were seemingly random; at first the holy knight thought that he was hiding deeper plots in the chaos he was creating. She was mistaken however; Ramza had no care or plan on where he moved his pieces. He hardly even glanced at the board; the squire was much more interested in speaking with Mustadio, their topic moving from favorite local sports, to the locale that Mustadio was from, the squire covertly grilling the mechanist for information of Goug. Neither Agrias nor Mustadio noticed the subtle word play, the mechanist busy with his next half plot and the holy knight focused in the match, and how frustratingly inexperienced it was. So, understandably to the squire, his attention was not on the game.

It was in the middle of their second game, with the mechanist winning the first, due to luck, mostly, that Agrias, annoyed with the lackluster match, declared firmly to the two, "I get winner."

Mustadio, in the middle of moving his knight, paused, staring at the determined and frustrated Agrias. Glancing at Ramza, who had arched an eyebrow at the holy knight's declaration, the mechanist halted his move, sliding a pawn forward instead. Ramza, turning his gaze from the adorably annoyed Agrias to the game, noticed the change, and shared a silent look with Mustadio; the mechanist's move left one of his bishops blatantly open for attack. Ramza saw no trap and, with a confused frown, took the bait. To the squire's surprise, nothing claimed his piece, Mustadio instead moving one of his rooks forward. Ignoring Agrias's frustrated grunt, Ramza again stared at Mustadio, the mechanist face set; this time a white pawn sat defenseless, in easy reach of a black knight. Again, Ramza attacked, and again there was no retaliation; it suddenly dawned on the squire. Mustadio was throwing the game. Eyes glinting, Ramza gave the mechanist a feral grin; two could play at this game.

Agrias, waiting with the last of her patience for the game to end, noticed a subtle change in the game; she didn't catch it at first, when she was mentally, and vocally, cursing Mustadio's ineptitude, but the rounds that followed a stillness hung over the chess table. With widened eyes, Agrias saw that both men were trying to _lose_, throwing their pieces at each other with a surprising recklessness. The holy knight wasn't sure if she should feel angry, impressed, or flattered; by their display, neither wanted to play her, which could be taken both ways, but a surprising amount of skill shined as they tried to force the other to take a piece. In the end, with a surprisingly daring, and ironically brilliant, move by Mustadio's king, Ramza won the match, the loser grinning with victory. The squire laughed and shook Mustadio's hand, setting up the pieces, setting aside a pawn from each color. The mechanist stood, dragging his stool a small distance away so he could watch the next match. Ramza, also standing, turned to Agrias, holding a pawn in each hand, black in his right, white in his left; grinning, he tucked his hands behind his back, did some quick shuffling, and held out closed fists in front of Agrias, waiting.

The holy knight was going to offer the squire white, giving herself the handicap, but succumbed to his game, gently tapping his left hand. Ramza grinned, revealing a white pawn, and sat back down in his previous position, waiting. Agrias, stretching dramatically, sat in front of her white army; she gave the man across from her a confident smirk. She had watched him play, and, even though he did show some skill in the last match, was sure that her knowledge of the game was greater then his. The first match she would take him down quick. Sliding forward her king's pawn, she started the match, preparing for the scholar's mate. She leaned back, waiting for Ramza's move, but, it seemed, that her wait was in vain. Ramza was silent, staring intently at the board in front of him. Agrias's eyebrows arched with surprise, coughing slightly to prompt the man. Ramza ignored her, still staring resolutely at the single lone pawn.

After a minute of silence, Agrias, who was starting to get annoyed, moved her gaze from Ramza's still hand to his face; his expression evaporated the annoyance that was itching her. Gone was the foolish smile and sarcastic grin; the squire's face was blank, an eerie aura of concentration hovering around the man. Agrias hissed a breath in, suddenly noticing it; his eyes were moving. It was very faint, and if she had not been staring deeply into them she wouldn't have noticed it, but there was a flickering of his pupils. The movement was extremely quick, as his eyes darted around the board, moving from square to square. The silence dragged on for a few more minutes, until Ramza, his eyes stilling, finally looked up, giving the holy knight a small smile, and moved a pawn forward, one small step. Agrias stared at the move for a moment; he didn't counter with his own king's pawn, nor did he start the knight's defense, but the pawn that he moved effectively blocked the trap she was setting up. She shrugged; this was no major problem. She could no longer use the quickest method of victory, but would have to settle for the longer one. Giving the squire a grunt, she moved her queen's pawn.

Again, there was a minute of silence, Ramza staring at the board; his stillness was not as long as the last, however, and after only a minute or so he moved another pawn, glancing up to Agrias after his turn, giving her an almost apologetic smile. For some inane reason, his almost pitying smile angered the holy knight; she drew in a slight hiss, her eyes glaring coldly at him as she slid another piece forward, moving ahead with her plan. This time Ramza remained still for only a few seconds, eyes daring from Agrias's angered face to the board, before countering. Sparing the squire's move a glance, she quickly took her turn, slamming the knight she moved a little harder then was necessary, still annoyed by the smile on his face. As she crossed her arms, waiting for Ramza's round to pass; the squire, however, was no longer looking at the board, but instead staring at the holy knight, his smile gone. Caught by his gaze, Agrias's breath caught as he spoke, "Calm yourself, Agrias, I mean no disrespect. You want a challenging match, and I will give you one. Next time, think out your move better." He paused for a moment before quietly sliding another black pawn forward.

Surprisingly, Agrias did calm at his words, her eyes showing a hint of confusion; he had implied she had made a mistake. Taking a careful look at the board, she realized he had spoken the truth; her last move, rushed due to her anger, had already been countered by the squire's previous move to hers, giving the man, essentially, a free turn to attack. He didn't, though; that deepened her confusion. He had the opportunity to attack, or plan an attack, but he remained on the defensive. She stared at his move made moments ago, and saw the big picture in one sudden flash; the pawn he moved was already in a countering position to a move she would have made next turn, if she continued to follow her plan. Amazed, she stared at the squire for a few moments; was it luck, or was her intent easily recognized? She pondered the question for a moment, and decided that he probably had learned what her strategy was; it was one of the most basic attack plans, and many players knew of it and how to counter it. She nodded to Ramza in understanding, but kept her determined glare; she was still sure she would win. Turning away from a well known strategy, she went on the full offensive.

Ramza, seeing her abandon her discovered plot, nodded back, giving a small grin, immediately countering to save the pawn she had threatened. Agrias hesitated a moment at the odd move, but pushed forward, the turn moving, not faster, but at a more even, steady rate. Neither spoke after Ramza had, and the only sound heard at the table was a soft clack every time a piece was moved. Mustadio was mesmerized by the game, partly annoyed that Ramza had purposefully played poorly during their match. The mechanist, the only one of the three aware of their surroundings, heard a slight scraping noise and saw movement out of the corner of his eye; Olivia had joined the shorter man, giving him a half smile before gazing at the battle unfolding in front of her. The other three women, although not particularly impressed with chess, followed a few minutes later, moving a couch together to sit on. Olivia declined a seat on the more comfortable couch, remaining on her stool; she had a better view from the higher angle.

And what a view was it! The princess had seen impressive matches before, chess the usual past time for nobility, among other cultured sports, like fencing, but the one unfolding in front of her equaled or even surpassed the great battles she saw. Agrias's tactics were strait forward, but very effective; she continued her offensive press, trying to decimate Ramza's army before she captured his king. The squire, however, had thus far kept his losses low; his defense was very tight, safeguarding, surprisingly, his pawns first and foremost. The princess had never seen his type of style before; usually the pawns were the first to be sacrificed, the more mobile and powerful pieces using them as shields. The squire had the opposite drive, using his knights, rooks, bishops, and queen to defend the pawns; it created an odd balance between the two players. On Ramza's side of the board almost all of Agrias's white pawns sat, captured, while the holy knight had only taken one black pawn, in addition to a knight, rook, and bishop. Point wise, Agrias was winning.

That suddenly changed, however; Agrias, taking her queen on a murderous rampage across the board, tasted victory. Moving the queen into a check position, she barked a victorious laugh, thinking the squire done. Ramza was quiet, however, and, giving an apologetic grin, swiped his king and rook, castling the pieces. Agrias's elated mood froze as she stared at the board; her queen was trapped. There was no way to save the powerful piece within her next move. The rook stared defiantly at the queen, threatening it, while the king, once in danger of defeat, sighed in relief, safe from harm. She couldn't take the rook, as he was protected by Ramza's lone bishop, and every path of retreat was guarded by a pawn army. Taking a quick glance at the board, she saw that, if the queen must perish, destroying the rook would be the best way to go. Giving a disgruntled grunt, she doomed her queen, slaying the rook, calling softly, "Check."

Ramza, only a moment after the words were out of her mouth, took her queen, his black bishop standing where the once proud lady stood. There was a small gasp from the audience at the sudden turn of events; both Ramza and Agrias ignored them, Ramza staring intently at the holy knight, waiting for her next move. A lot of Agrias's steam was lost at the death of her most powerful piece, but she pressed forward, switching targets from Ramza's king to his queen; she still had all of her other warriors at her command, after all, and she wanted to level the playing field. The squire, taking a moment to think, surprised all watching by going onto the offensive. The next few rounds went by quick, both Ramza and Agrias losing some pieces, before the holy knight had to pull back her attack, switching to defending her king. Ramza, who had lost his queen only a few moves after Agrias, had snuck a pawn to the other side, reviving the slain queen.

It was then that Agrias knew she had lost; the squire, taking great care of his pawns, had led all that he had remaining to the opposite end of the board, a step or two away from the powerful upgrade. It turned into a fighting retreat for the holy knight, as she was forced to pull her troops back; Ramza was ruthless, and within a few minutes Agrias had tipped over her king in defeat. Both ignored, or didn't hear, the collective breath that their audience released at the end of the game; the squire, not sparing a glance at the board in front of him, kept his sight on Agrias, telling her softly, "Good game."

Agrias was silent for a moment, keeping his gaze, oddly not that disappointed in her loss. Her reply was just as quiet, but not a whisper, "Yes, it was. We'll have to play again, yes?" Her eyes were hopeful, even though she kept her face neutral.

Ramza nodded, a smile spreading on his face, "Later, this evening, we'll battle some more. Our match was challenging, and the time for dinner is close." He stood, nodding his head to the holy knight before turning to leave; his retreat was halted by the sudden appearance of Mustadio. The squire blinked in surprise, only now realizing that everyone had gathered close to watch, including two of the maids. Mustadio gave Ramza only a moment to recover from his game before talking excitedly, asking questions about the match. Ramza gave a weak smile and moved to the couch, trying to answer the inquisitive mechanist as best he could. Not to be left out, Lavian and Alicia quickly followed, the young wizard wanting to speak with the squire as well.

Agrias, Olivia, and Belle remained seated, watching the four, the holy knight idly setting the chess pieces back in their proper places. It was silent for a few moments before Agrias spoke, "He knows how to play chess."

Olivia nodded; Agrias's words were actually an understatement. Ramza was extremely skilled in chess, and the princess had witnessed great chess players before. She knew what Agrias was capable of, and she also knew that most generals and leaders prided themselves in their skill of chess, as useful tactics can be taken from the game and used in the battlefield. The most talented commander she knew of, Cidolfas Orlandu, had equal skill in the strategy game, and Ramza was probably at the general's level, if not greater. The grandfatherly man once told her that 'a good general, and likewise chess player, can plan one step ahead of the enemy. A _great_ general can plan _two_.' That is what Ramza did, and that is how he had lead Agrias into his trap. He was waiting for her to strike at his king, and only when he was ready for her did he allow her. Olivia turned her gaze from the now clean and prepared board to Agrias, saying, "Yes, and he is familiar with the lute. There is much more to this simple squire then he lets on."

Agrias agreed, "Yes… and it is most frustrating not to know of it." She blushed at Olivia's laugh, amending, "For professional reasons, of course. I am his commanding officer, I should know." Knowing that the princess wasn't buying it, she turned her gaze to Ramza, who was comfortably talking with her friends; Agrias paused, standing, and whispered to Olivia, "But… for some reason… I trust him. He'll tell us when it's ready; until then, I'll put my faith in him." With that she joined the rest at the couch, Lavian being the first to greet her with a snide comment.

Only Belle and Olivia remained, for a strange moment feeling like outsiders from the five; the chemist felt a sudden sense of foreboding, sending a chill up her spine. She rubbed her arms, relieving her goose bumps, and shaking the sense of presage, asking Olivia, "That was a very, um, dynamic match yes?"

The princess nodded, "Yes, it was quite exhilarating to watch." Turning to Belle, she asked, "Do you play?"

Bell shook her head, "No, I only know the basics, like how the pieces move." Turning her gaze from Olivia back to the rest, she added, "But even I could tell what an impressive match that was. Ramza… he was… amazing."

Olivia arched an eyebrow at the chemist's words, watching her gaze upon the squire; Belle was not seeing Ramza as just a comrade, no. There was something else that lay hidden in her eyes; Olivia sighed. _Agrias may have complications in her future_, she thought idly, if her perception of Belle was accurate. A large, lingering question surfaced at the thought, and, speaking quietly so only Belle could hear, she voiced it, "How?"

Belle broke her gaze from Ramza, staring at Olivia, not fully understanding, "How what?"

The princess shifted, feeling uncomfortable, but surged forward, "How can you… desire a man?" she paused, her eyes wondering, swallowing, "After… after what they did to you? After what was taken, after how you were hurt?" Olivia frowned, whispering, "I don't think I could… not after…" Her gaze went back to Belle, "How?"

Belle felt her stomach turn at the princess's question, and hesitated a moment, "I… I'm not sure, really." She shrugged at Olivia's disbelieving look, "It's true; I don't think anyone would fault me if I hated men. I wouldn't think any lesser of myself if I did. But…" her gaze traveled to Ramza, "He's different. Honest." She grinned at a very unladylike snort from Olivia, "Not necessarily honest about his past, but he's honest in the way he sees us. He doesn't look at me like they did; he doesn't speak to me like they did." She paused for a moment, "He isn't trying to get anything out of me. He honestly only wants to help, nothing more; he expects nothing from me, nothing from us."

There were a few moments of silence as Olivia digested this; Belle's words held weight. Ramza had asked for no reward, had made no demands. He, much to the annoyance of a few women, made no obvious attempts of seduction. The chemist spoke again, halting her thoughts, "I think it was easy for me to desire him; he showed up, rescued me from my tormenters, and proved all men are not like them by behaving unlike them." Belle's smile fell for a moment, replaced by a slight smirk, "It's also hard… I know that I have no right to him, and I know others," she paused, sharing a glance with Olivia, flicking to Agrias, "have similar feelings." She gave a sad chuckle, "And the man is quite oblivious to it all. But, the fact that I can have the feeling, the desire for a man makes me feel… stronger. Like I'm a whole woman again."

Olivia nodded, remaining quiet for a moment; the chemist's words sounded right somehow. She smiled at the chemist, "I'm happy you feel whole again." Her grin turned mischievous, "But I'm afraid I cannot cheer for you. Agrias already has my support, when she finally sees it and acts upon it."

Belle returned the smile, although it was less radiant, "She is quite stubborn, isn't she?"

They shared a small chuckle before Olivia stood, dusting her dress off, telling the chemist, "Our talk has become too serious, and we should reserve somber words for the morning. Let us join the rest, and enjoy their laughter."

Olivia grabbed Belle's hand after the chemist nodded, and led the two to the couch, where room was quickly made for them. The seven spent the remaining time before dinner in a light conversation, the mood cheerful. Eventually Carmella did enter the common room with the announcement of dinner, and escorted the seven to the dining room. Awaiting the group was an excellent meal, with roasted pig, thick stew, fresh bread, and fine wine, although Ramza declined the liquor, asking for a glass of milk instead. The meal lasted for an hour, the women, and Mustadio, going through a half dozen bottles of wine; by the end, all were pleasantly buzzed from the potent liquid, Carmella, ever the best hostess, leading them back to the main chamber, where the matron excused the group for the evening.

Again they settled on couches, Lavian and Mustadio huddled close on the smaller one while the other four women, not wanting to intrude on the two, sat on the larger, calling to the squire, "Music!" Ramza would keep his promise, taking one of the stools to sit upon; he tuned the lute, getting feel for the ancient instrument. His preparations done, he hushed his small crowd, telling them, "It's been over a year, so please excuse my poor sound."

Alicia, not used to alcohol and a little more drunk then the rest, giggled out, "Geez, both you and Agrias with the stalling today." She was joined by others at Ramza's confused gaze to the holy knight, who herself was blushing.

He shrugged, not understanding the joke, and started his song. Usually a lute is accompanied by a singer, so Olivia was expecting Ramza to sing. He did not; instead, Ramza hummed along, his vibrating voice mixing quite well with the plucking of the lute. The song initially staggered, but Ramza found his rhythm, a gentle melody filling the room. Everyone recognized the song, named some places "Rainbow's Fair" or "Flower's Ballad", it was the essence of spring. The song wasn't short, and for a few minutes they remained still, listening, even Lavian and Mustadio pausing to enjoy the music. After the gentle song, a more robust one fled from Ramza's fingertips, a commoner's jig, meant for merriment and good times. For almost two hours the squire played for them, keeping the mood light. After the last chord of "Grand Melody", a song known more to the wealthy then poor, died, Ramza, opening his eyes, as he had kept them close the entire time, set down his lute, saying, "That's all for tonight, ladies. Sleep is calling, and I'm going to answer."

Olivia, after she had clapped lightly for the squire, stood, nodding, "Agreed, Ramza, it is off to my chambers for me." She pulled Agrias up, who groaned at the movement, telling her, "Off to bed, all of you. We meet the Cardinal tomorrow morning."

There was some shuffling and groaning, but eventually all retired to their chambers for the night. Agrias, having dressed into a nightgown, shifted in her bed, trying to get used to the soft mattress and pillows. As she stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim her, she realized that she had really enjoyed herself this evening. With a content smile, and sigh, she drifted off to sleep.


	16. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 15

**Author Notes:**My word, an update after so long; sorry about the impromtu hiatus everyone. Life, and work, got very busy suddenly, and I had no time to even think about the story, let alone sit down to write it. When I finally did have time, my muse left me, and I stared at the computer screen in a daze, drool running down my chin. Well, not that bad.

Nevertheless, I did get my creativity flowing again, and, viola, a chapter.

In regards to my last chapter, I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted that the only thing you few reviewers picked on was my mistake in the game of chess. Perhaps I'll take it as flattery, my story is so good that you must point out, a lot it seems, a flaw that has nothing to do with my writing, but simple game mechanics. Heck, I could have simply added something along the lines of "Normally, Ramza couldn't castle in check, but because of *some reason*, he invoked a rare rule in which he could" and I would have been good. But I am still happy people found the time to review, even if it was to point out this flaw. Thank you all; perhaps I'll make Boco, a yellow chocobo, cast Meteor, just to rile some people up. :)

So, I'm rather pleased with this chapter, and I do hope you all enjoy it; I would like to refresh everyone's memory that this is a "M" rated story, for violence, language, and adult situations. I bring this up because I've included something I have yet to include in this chapter, so you have been warned.

Thank you all for your patience; enjoy!

**

* * *

**

Mustadio shifted yet again in his chair, his discomfort obvious to the other three who sat with him; only Agrias was annoyed at the mechanic's twitching, giving him another glare as he nervously shuffled in his seat. Mustadio ignored the holy knight's look, keeping his gaze to the far door, where, soon, the Cardinal would be joining them. The group had received a summons to the Cardinal's study just as they were finishing their breakfast, and, after a brief discussion, four decided to answer; Olivia and Agrias were obvious choices, as they needed to discuss the Princess's safety, and Mustadio begged to join the two, so he could plea for the Cardinal's help. Ramza was the fourth, by Olivia's request; she knew his knowledge of Gafgarion and Delita could be useful and his level head would be a good asset when dealing with the powerful cleric.

Carmella led them through the imposing castle to the Cardinal's private wing, and the old matron saw them seated and left with a curtsey. They had not been waiting long, although it seemed to be ages for the anxious Mustadio, when Cardinal Draclau made his appearance, entering the lavish study without fanfare, and taking a moment to study the four seated in front of him before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

Cardinal Alphons Draclau was an imposing man, even at his advanced age; during the Fifty Year War Draclau served as a knight, a powerful man who took part in many battles. There was much evidence of the younger man still present, even after all the years that he had been wearing cloth instead of plate. Draclau was still a big man, although a layer of fat clung to once lean muscle, and he moved like a soldier. His head was bare, aside from a small cap he wore on the crown of his head, and an elegant moustache dominated his face. His eyes were cool and calculated, a stark contrast to the smile he wore.

Ramza shifted, staring at the man, even though he took no notice of the squire. He couldn't place it, but something was… off. Something didn't seem right in the Cardinal's face, but, for the life of him, Ramza could not tell what it was.

A few moments passed as the Cardinal settled himself before he spoke, his gaze on Olivia, "It is an honor to see you again, Your Highness. I heard from my Captain that you seek Sanctuary within these walls." His grin faltered, a look of concern growing on his face, "I hope all is well, and you only seek shelter from a foolish suitor."

Olivia shook her head, "No, Cardinal, no jester follows me; a few weeks ago I was ambushed by knights wearing the Nanten crest, under orders to kidnap me." She paused for effect, watching the Cardinal's face; unsurprisingly, his eyes widened, surprise and shock written on his wrinkled face. Olivia cleared her throat and continued, telling the elder man of the appearance of Delita, the chase through Leslia, and the confrontation at Zirekile Falls; Draclau was most attentive during the Princess's tale, his face serious when she tried to explain the many weaves of the web in which she was caught.

He waited until her tale was done before he spoke, gazing at Olivia and Agrias carefully, "Let me see if I understand you correctly." He waited for their nods before continuing, standing and pacing while he spoke, "Your first attackers were Nanten soldiers, as proven by the woman you captured." Olivia nodded, "This Delita, the holy knight, also owes his allegiance to Goltanna." Another nod, "Delita confessed to you, Princess, that the Nanten ambushers were hired by a Hokuten commander; this was to cause strife between Goltanna and Larg." The Cardinal was too busy thinking to notice if they were nodding anymore, "Now, Delita, acting on his own will, caught wind of this scheme and nabbed you before the kidnappers could; what he was unaware of was Gafgarion's immanent betrayal and the second ambush where, originally, the Nanten knights, carrying you, were to be attacked by Hokuten knights, under the pretense of rescuing you."

He paused briefly, stroking his moustache, before continuing, "The Hokuten men were to have you, my Lady, killed off during the scuffle, solidifying Prince Orinas as the heir to the throne." He fell silent, muttering the last point more to himself than to his guests, "This would make the Queen very happy, and Larg is her dear brother…" The Cardinal rested his gaze on Olivia, a frown on his face, "You don't know who to trust anymore, do you Princess?"

Olivia sat strait, not willing to show the stress she was under, answering the man with a calm, steady voice, "Correct."

Agrias spoke for the first time, leaning in, "We come here seeking the Church's help in exposing Larg's scheme, and to protect Princess Olivia until she is safe."

Draclau was silent, settling himself back into his chair, thinking; a few seconds passed, and, for a brief moment, Agrias felt a hint of dread, fearing his lack of immediate response. Her worry seemed unfounded, as he leaned forward, a sudden grin growing on his face, "I understand, now, the situation, Lady Oaks. I will send some men to the High Priest in Murond; the church will do whatever we can to expose Larg's scheme." He stood once again, bowing deeply at Olivia, "Princess, I wouldn't dream of turning you away during your time of need. You're welcome in my home for as long as you need it. These old walls will keep you safe."

The two women gave a breath of relief, the tension that had been building dispersed; while Olivia leaned back and relaxed, Agrias didn't, asking the Cardinal, "Will High Priest Funeral help us?"

The priest gave a chuckle, replying, "Relax, Agrias, I'm on your side, and with me you get everyone else!"

"Thank you for your kindness," Olivia said simply, laying her hand on the holy knight's arm, letting the stressed warrior know she could rest. Agrias did just that, leaning back, and letting her body unwind, if only a little.

Draclau gave a smile, shrugging, "Saint Ajora is with us, so there is no need to worry. Stay strong for your princess, Agrias, and have her feel at ease. We'll make our next move once we hear from the Holy Land."

There were a few moments of silence before the Cardinal spoke again, "If there is nothing else...?"

Mustadio knew this was the time to speak, but his tongue got suddenly dry and he could only swallow his words; if not for Ramza elbowing the man in the side, which caused the mechanic to grunt loudly, Mustadio's words could have never been heard. The mechanic never had time to be angry at his friend, as Cardinal Draclau's dark eyes turned to the young man, and, in a rush, Mustadio spoke. He stuttered, due to nerves, and some parts were hurried, but Mustadio laid down his case, telling how the Bart Company kidnapped his father, how they were causing trouble in Gaug, and how they were terrorizing the people of the old city. Mustadio begged aid from the old knight.

This time the Cardinal was quiet for a few minutes, staring at the young man, his eyes calculating and pondering. Olivia, wanting to help the mechanic, opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Agrias, who just shook her head at the princess; this was Mustadio's favor, no one else's. Draclau surprised the two women by smiling once again, giving the man a nod, telling him, "I will help you, young man. Your wish has touched me; troops will be sent to Gaug, and they will destroy the Bart Company."

The look of relief and gratitude on Mustadio's face was blinding; he stood, bowing deeply at the Cardinal, repeating words of thanks, while the older man just smiled, waving away the praise. The two women shared in Mustadio's joy, both happy that the young man was getting help; Ramza also smiled, but his mind was elsewhere. Perhaps it was his lessens he received during his younger years, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was easy. Too easy. There has to be something Draclau wanted; no powerful man would aid a common mechanic if he had nothing to gain.

Ramza's suspicion spiked when Draclau spoke, asking the young mechanic, "Before I send my troops, however, I must ask you: why is the Bart Company after you and your father?"

Mustadio instantly sobered at the question, hesitating, "Um… I… I can't…"

Draclau nodded, staring intently at the man, "If you're hiding something, the Bart Company must be after it; it must be important to them to chase you for such a long distance."

The mechanic swallowed, his eyes cast downward, avoiding the older man's gaze; the grin on the Cardinal's face curled, looking slightly sinister, as he asked, "It's all right, I think I have a feeling what they are after." Mustadio's head shot up, staring at Draclau with wide eyes, "Is it… this?"

From within his robes, Draclau pulled out a large, red stone; it was clear, like a crystal, but smooth and oblong. He gently set the stone on the table, but not horizontally, as one would expect a stretched circle would lie; he set the gem down vertically, the crystal neatly standing its thinnest part. One could tell immediately that this gem was not normal.

Agrias leaned forward, the stone drawing her, and everyone else's gaze, asking the Cardinal in a soft voice, "What… is that a crystal?"

Draclau chuckled softly, "Perhaps. Tell me, holy knight, have you ever heard of the 'Zodiac Brave Story'?"

Agrias blinked, confused, "You mean the fairy tale? The one we we're told in church as a kid?"

"Hey now, you're not implying that the church lied to you, or anyone else, are you?" Draclau objected, his tone ambiguous. Agrias, worried and somewhat ashamed, stuttered an apology, blushing profusely; Draclau didn't actually seem offended, and he gave a smile and waved away the words, with a, "Now, now, no harm done." His words sounded kind and forgiving, and his smile rested comfortably on his face, but his eyes, just for a brief moment, told Ramza something else; perhaps the squire imagined it, but a look of disgust flashed in the Cardinal's eyes. The squire shifted again, gazing at his companions, wondering if they had seen the same thing that he had; they had not, Mustadio's eyes still drawn to the crystal, Agrias averting her gaze.

Olivia was staring at the old priest, but not with suspicion; she replied to the man's question, her voice strong, "Long ago, when the land was much different, twelve brave warriors fought against the evil Lucavi, a powerful and wicked demon, who ruled the land. After a desperate battle, they sent Lucavi to Hades, and the land was peaceful once again. The key to their success were crystals each carried, the gemstones having a mystical sign on them, glyphs of the zodiac. After the final battle they were known across the land as the 'Zodiac Braves'. Legend says that ever since that fateful day, whenever mankind is attacked by the underworld, the Braves would resurrect, raising their blades to save us once again."

"You're quite learned in the church's legends, Princess. Just as I expected," the Cardinal complimented, nodding his head to the young woman.

"Thank you; Mr. Simon of Orbonne Monastery taught me all I know. He also told me that the Braves, under guidance of Saint Ajora, saved Ivalice from chaos, anarchy that Lucavi wanted to spread."

The Cardinal lightly hit the table, exclaiming, "Correct again, M'Lady! Lucavi thrived, desired chaos and turmoil. The demon's one weakness was these," he lightly touched the stone in front of him, "crystals. We call them 'Holy Stones', for they were blessed by God himself!" His eyes gleamed with religious fervor, "And this stone is one of them! This is one of the legendary Zodiac Stones!"

For a few moments no one replied to the Cardinal's revelation; all were silent, surprised and awed at the old man's words. Olivia spoke first, her words a whisper, "I thought they were lost forever…"

"Ages ago men believed them lost to us, or even thought they had never existed! But they return to us, God has placed them upon Ivalice once again." Draclau stared at the blood-red gem in front of him, his voice thick with devotion, "God's divine power is contained within these jewels, power greater then Lucavi's." He paused, leaning back into his chair, none realizing that while he spoke he leaned forward, "I, anyone, can feel a strange power from the crystals, even if they look like ordinary gems."

The Cardinal words were true, all sitting before the crystal felt some strange power in the air; for the old priest, this aura was divine, and Ramza easily saw this, as Draclau gazed at the gem with religious fervor. The squire felt otherwise; yes, the stone had powerful magic within, but it didn't feel like a blessing to the young man. His eyes flicked to Mustadio, who had been absolutely silent and, more noticeable, still. The mechanic was also staring at the stone, but not out of curiosity or devoutness; shock and even fear was written on the young man's pale face. It was slightly alarming for the squire, who spoke with concern, "Mustadio? What's wrong? You look pale."

The mechanic forced his eyes away from the stone at Ramza's words, closing his mouth and swallowing hard. He didn't reply, but it didn't take much to realize why.

"You've seen a stone like this before, haven't you, young man?" Draclau said, his voice low, almost menacingly.

Mustadio avoided the priest's gaze, mumbling a reply, "Un-Underground… We found one underground, where many machines of old lay. The gears are all broken and twisted, but when the stone gets near them…" He looked up, not at the Cardinal, but to Ramza, his eyes wide, "They howl. The machines… howl and move…"

Ramza nodded, "So the Bart Company must be after the stone…"

The mechanist nodded, "I don't know what powers the stone holds, but Rudvich wants to use its power to make weapons. My father told me never to give the stones to him." He shifted, looking to Draclau, "So they abducted him…"

The Count grinned, patting the table with determination, "Don't worry, lad. I can help - the church will help. We'll see to the stone's, and your father's, safety." He paused, and said carefully, "…Do you have the stone with you?"

Mustadio shook his head, telling the Cardinal how he had left the stone in Goug, but Ramza wasn't paying attention to Mustadio's words; no, he had stiffened at the Count's question. _This was it, this is why the Count caved so easily,_ Ramza realized. _He wants the stone_. The squire frowned, _But how did Draclau know there was one in Goug?_ Suspicion was first on his mind, but Ramza realized that Draclau wasn't a simple Cardinal; Draclau was second only to the High Priest in the church, and the church had eyes and ears everywhere. They know about the crystals, so they probably know where some are rumored to be.

Ramza's thinking was cut short as the old man stood, deftly picking up the stone set on the table and tucking it within his robes, telling Olivia, "Your Highness, if there is nothing else you ask of me, I beg your leave. There is much work to be done; I have many orders to write." Olivia nodded, thanking the priest for his kindness, and turned to leave the room, Agrias close on her heels. She stopped at the door when she noticed that Mustadio had not moved, the man still staring at Draclau; the Count was aware of the mechanics hesitation, and he asked the man, "Is there something else, Mustadio?"

Mustadio hesitated for a moment, glancing at Ramza, who was still by his side; the squire's presence bolstered the nervous man's courage, and he asked, "When will your troops be deployed, sir?"

Draclau stroked his moustache, turning his head to think; after a few minutes of silence, he told the anxious man, "As I'm sure you're in haste, I could get have a platoon of men on the march in… say, five days."

Mustadio looked like he had been struck; he gasped out, "F-five days?!"

The Cardinal arched an eyebrow, "Normally it would take twice the time, lad."

The mechanic rain a hand through his hair, tugging slightly on this ponytail, thinking quickly; in that split second, he made his decision, the anxiety leaving his voice, speaking firmly, "I thank you for your help, Cardinal, but that is too long for me to wait. My father could be dying as we speak. I… I just can't stay here for that long. I have to go."

Draclau stared at Mustadio, ignoring the surprised look on the two women's faces; after a moment he nodded, "I can respect that, young man. Leave when you must, but I will still send my men to destroy the Bart Company so they may never endanger a father's life again." He leaned up on the table, a faint grin on his lips, "Scout the enemies, my son, and after you have rescued your father tell my men where the vile brigands are. They will take care of the rest."

Agrias watched Mustadio's resolute nod, surprised by the drastic change in the man's face; gone was his childlike, curious gaze, replaced by fierce determination. Overall, the holy knight was impressed, and was touched by the mechanic's strong love for his father. Mustadio spoke a few more words to Draclau, about where the old man's troops would be stationed near Goug, but Agrias wasn't paying much attention; she would miss the eccentric man. She had always known, in the back of her head, that the mechanic would eventually depart from the group, so his decision to leave didn't affect the woman, certainly not as much as Lavian would be saddened by the news. She turned to leave, grasping Olivia lightly on the arm, but was halted for a second time.

"I'll go with you, Mustadio, if you'll have me."

Everyone was startled by Ramza's words, but some more then others; Draclau raised an eyebrow in surprise, but otherwise remained silent. Mustadio was struck dumb for a moment before he gave a small whoop, clasping hand with the squire in thanks. Olivia was shocked, saddened by the squire's words; she had come to enjoy the squire's company, and was sorry to see him go.

Ramza's words probably affected Agrias the most, although the squire was unaware of the sudden turmoil Agrias was in; in fact, only Olivia noticed, feeling a sudden tightness of the holy knight's grasp, almost painful, causing the princess's eyes to turn to Agrias's face. The woman wasn't horrified, or angry, or depressed, although a hint of a frown was present; Agrias was confused. The holy knight was not expecting, and thus unprepared, for Ramza's declaration, and wasn't exactly sure how she should feel about it.

She'd miss him, but that was a given; everyone would miss him. This seemed incomplete though; there was something else that caused the sudden depression that hung over Agrias's shoulders, and, for the moment, this reason eluded the holy knight. Feeling numb, she really didn't hear Olivia tell the two men that it was time to return to their quarters, and only faintly felt the princess lead her out of the Cardinal's office. Olivia remained quiet, giving Agrias time to think; although her mind was startlingly clear, it was somehow difficult to form coherent thoughts at first. The stupor did eventually leave as they progressed down the hall, and Agrias was finally able to digest and process Ramza's decision. The squire would be leaving soon, most likely within the hour given Mustadio's haste; this realization brought a rather unpleasant feeling to settle in her stomach.

As she got used to the sudden addition of jagged rocks to her gut, she realized something: she didn't like it. Agrias didn't like that Ramza would soon be gone.

_Why don't I like it?_

Agrias felt like scoffing at the ridiculous question; Ramza was a valued and valuable part of her troops. He was proven loyal, unfalteringly dependable, stubbornly brave, and quick witted; his fighting capabilities and skills were top notch. Any commander would mourn the loss of a person with his experience.

_It's more then that, though. There's another reason._

And it came to her, that other reason, the real reason; it was like a strike of lightning flashing though her head, the realization causing her to stagger, only for a moment, with that single heartbeat causing Olivia to brace herself against the sudden dead weight of Agrias.

She didn't _want_ Ramza to leave.

No, it was more than that.

She didn't want Ramza to leave _her_.

That was why her stomach was knotted; the other reasons she gave herself were just an illusion, words she used to cover her true feelings. Agrias didn't want him to stay to protect the princess, or to serve the crown; no noble reasons drove Agrias's want. It was pure selfishness; Agrias wanted Ramza to stay with her.

The epiphany did not bring the conclusion she wanted; it only caused more confusion to bubble rush through her head. During all those long days, during the chaos and chase, Ramza became something different, something more then a comrade. She tried, hard, to imagine tomorrow without him, and she couldn't. It was like imagining the dawn coming without the sun; Ramza was the new constant in her life, in all their lives. Agrias frowned, not realizing it was the first facial movement she had made since Ramza's announcement, causing Olivia, who had been studying her friend, to raise her eyebrows in surprise; the holy knight, all but arguing with herself, had entered dangerous territory. Feelings and thoughts that she had set aside, until Olivia was safe.

_Isn't she safe now?_

Agrias wanted to believe that Olivia was truly safe here, that the Cardinal would protect them from the political intrigue plaguing the young woman. For some reason, though, she couldn't. There was still an itch on her neck that warned of danger, but she didn't know from whom; she wouldn't be able to fully relax, not yet. Part of her wondered if she ever would again. It was this looming threat of danger that finally cleared the confusion from Agrias's head; relapsing, although in denial about it, she once again convinced herself that Ramza was needed here. Vision focusing, she noticed she was moment's away from the Royal Wing; loosening her grip on Olivia, not realizing she had been squeezing too hard, she readied herself.

Passing though the grand door, the group finally returned to the common room; Lavian, Belle, and Alicia were all sitting on one of the plush couches, the chemist and wizard speaking quietly while Lavian was reading a scroll, muttering and moving slightly to herself. The parchment was a gift from Ramza and showed the beginning movements to some basic martial arts techniques. Lavian, in her continuing quest to train as a samurai, had progressed quickly, having spent some of her younger years as an archer, and was learning to be a monk. So involved in the old scroll, she was the only one who did not turn to the door when it opened.

Agrias gave a short nod to the three women, not really noticing that Lavian was inattentive, took a few brisk steps forward, released Olivia's arm, and turned sharply. Ramza, who was right behind the holy knight, halted abruptly to avoid running the woman over, looking mildly startled. Without preamble or warning, and taking a half step forward, Agrias asked the man, "Why do you have to go?"

Ramza blinked at the question, unprepared for the sudden inquisition. As the holy knight did not speak her words softly, she was soon joined by Alicia and Belle, who watched with mixed curiosity and worry, the wizard asking aloud, "Who's going where?"

Ramza opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Agrias, who turned her head and answered Alicia's question, "Ramza and Mustadio are leaving for Goug."

The news broke Lavian away from her scroll, looking up at the group with surprise, focusing her gaze on Mustadio, who shifted, yelping, "What? When?"

"Probably as soon as they pick up their bags and high-tail it out of here," Agrias tried to keep her tone level, but some of the bitterness she was feeling crept out in her words, her voice sounding harsh, her face hard.

"That's not true," said Ramza, speaking quietly, watching Agrias with a faint hint of hurt. All eyes turned back to him, and he continued, "Mustadio wanted to leave in a few hours time, but I have convinced him a good night's rest would be wiser."

Agrias blushed in shame, but didn't back down from his gaze, stubbornly meeting his eyes, "That still doesn't explain why you're so quick to abandon us!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

The look of hurt left his rust-colored orbs, replaced with steel of his own, "Abandon you?" his voice turned sharp, his face went cold, "The deal was for safe escort to Lionel Castle, which I have fulfilled. My tasks were over the moment your Princess stepped within these walls. You obviously have no need for me anymore, and you have no right to decide where I go from now on!"

Ramza, initially angered by Agrias's words, halted his lecture, the anger fleeing his face as he watched his words devastate the holy knight's composure. She looked as if he had socked her in the gut, and she broke their gaze, refusing to let him see the tears in her eyes. Ramza, feeling terrible, now noticed that Agrias was not the only one to have watery eyes. Belle and Alicia had cupped their mouths, eyes wide and shiny, while Lavian, who had moved close to the group, and Olivia were staring at the squire in shock; he cursed himself. This is not how he wanted his last day with them to go. Softening his voice, he apologized, "Forgive me, I spoke with cruelty." Agrias didn't answer, keeping her face averted; Ramza reached out, lightly grasping her chin, turning her unresisting head so she could see him, saying, "Agrias, please, forgive me."

Her sapphire eyes held onto his, the unshed tears enhancing their beauty; Ramza swallowed hard, telling her, "Olivia is safe, and Mustadio's father is not. We can't wait for the Cardinal's help; we do not have the luxury of time," Ramza needed Agrias to understand why he had to leave, "Mustadio's father has been held captive for weeks now, and the chance of him being hurt or killed increases daily. Mustadio has to leave sooner then five days, and I can't, I won't, let him leave alone." He paused, releasing her chin, realizing his hand had lingered there, but stayed close to her, "You understand the dangers out there, the danger of traveling alone. Not in good conscious could I send a friend out there without support. I have to go." He gave a small smile, noticing that she had composed herself, blinking away her tears, "You don't need me; you don't need an extra sword and shield, not within these stone walls."

Agrias shook her head, wanting to tell him that he was needed, but was unable to vocalize, and ultimately admit, her feelings; instead, after a moment of hesitation, she reached out her hands, grasping one of his into hers, "I'm the one who should apologize, it was my frustrated words that started this. I know I have no right to tell you what you should do, and I'm sorry for insinuating it." He smiled, his face telling her that their fight was already forgiven and forgotten; this lightened some of the weight on her back, "I wasn't expecting you leaving m- us this soon." She grinned at the squire, rushing on before he could register her minor slip, "We've grown accustomed to you here, and you've been an invaluable help. I'm just sorry to see you go."

Ramza gave a bashful shrug, "It was a spur of the moment decision; besides, once we rescue Mustadio's father, I'll come back to visit. I've come to enjoy everyone's company." After a moment's pause, when he broke gaze with Agrias to glance at his other friends, he continued, "We've been in council longer than expected, as it's near noon. Why don't we eat; later today Mustadio and I must go out into town to procure supplies for the trip."

There were general nods around, agreeing with the idea of some food; people started to disperse, as well as Ramza, although when he turned to claim a seat on a couch his hand neglected to move with him, still grasped within Agrias's warm palms. He turned, a light blush on his face, to politely ask for his limb back, but was unable to speak, as Agrias spoke first, "Take my knights with you!"

This brought everyone to a halt, Belle, Lavian, and Alicia staring at Agrias with surprise; the holy knight ignored them, her gaze on Ramza, her mind working fast. She wasn't sure why, but she knew that she needed to help the man, but more importantly she needed to get some of her friends out of this castle. It was a conflicting feeling, wanting to shove her friends away and at the same time keep them close, but as soon as she made her offer, she knew it was the right thing to do. Agrias couldn't send all three of them, and sending one would be too few; two would have to accompany the men. Obviously, the choice was Lavian and Alicia; the two were close, they complemented each other well, and they would thrive under Ramza's leadership, "Take Alicia and Lavian with you."

Ramza raised his eyebrows with astonishment, his gaze immediately turning to the two women; Lavian's startled gaze turned into a carefully guarded, thoughtful look, gazing intently at Agrias. The young wizard was not so cautious, her face turning joyful at the thought of traveling with Ramza some more. After a moment of pondering, the monk in training asked her commander, "Are you sure you can spare us, Agrias?"

The older woman nodded, turning her body slightly so she could address her friend, although not yet releasing the squire, "Yes. I'll have Belle with me, and the Cardinal has given us his protection. You two would only laze about eating sweets, vocalizing your boredom if you remained." She gave a grin and received one, "Ramza needs you more then I do."

Ramza objected, "Hey now, this is Mustadio's quest, not mine. You should be asking him for permission."

The two women ignored him, Lavian replying to the holy knight, "You're right, as usual, Agrias. If your heart is set on this, I know it's useless to try to talk you out of it."

"My mind is made up. Ramza will be able to provide you with further training; much more than I could help with, stuck here in the castle." Agrias nodded firmly, glancing at Alicia, "I'm sure Ramza can help you develop your magic as well, Alicia."

Ramza turned to the mechanic, who looked ready to laugh at the two women's obvious disregard of the squire's words, "Mustadio, you can jump in any time, you know."

The second man snorted, holding up his hands, "Are you kidding, mate? I can't lead a dance line, let alone tow two rambunctious women across Lionel. You have the know-how with all this 'leadership' crap; you volunteered for this as soon as you spoke up."

"Coward…" Ramza muttered.

Lavian laughed, turning to finally acknowledge the squire, "I'm at your command, sir!" she taunted, going as far as to give him a mocking salute.

"Me too!" Alicia scampered forward, although she was more serious than her older friend; the young wizard had no qualms about traveling more with Ramza.

Ramza sighed, focusing back to Agrias, "You're sure you can spare them? We probably won't be back for a few weeks, perhaps as long as a month."

Agrias nodded once again, clutching his hand, "I'm positive, Ramza. Take them with you. Please."

It was the holy knight clasping his hand tight that ended any more argument from the squire; her voice was calm, but her hands spoke loudly. Not fully understanding, he nodded, "I'll bring them with me. I'll keep them safe."

"I know you will…" Agrias whispered, soft enough so only Ramza picked up the words; she suddenly released the squire's hand, turning away from the man, telling her friends, "Now that that's settled, let's eat!"

So they did; minutes after the discussion, a few maids entered the common room, weighed down by trays containing a simple luncheon. The meal was light, allowing plenty of pleasant talk to drift through the air and the departure of some of their own set aside, allowing for happier conversations. The only time this unspoken agreement was broken was at the end of the meal, as the maids were clearing the empty trays, when Ramza told everyone, "We've," motioning between himself and the mechanic, "decided that we'll wait until after supper to get our supplies. We're at your command until then."

Olivia, worried that the mood of those who were staying behind would turn dour, leapt from her seat, latching onto the squire, gaily demanding that he serenade those who would be stuck here. The princess knew that the squire's light music would be a pleasant distraction to pass the time; the fact that she rather enjoyed last night's performance influenced the idea of the activity. Ramza quickly complied, with a teasing, "As you wish, M'Lady."

Agrias, wanting to do something more productive, challenged Mustadio to a chess match; the mechanic, noticing that Lavian had delved back into her technique scroll, agreed, although he doubted he would be much of a match. Later, the fates would agree with the man, as he would only win one of the dozen matches the two would play.

With the pleasant music gliding through the air, and the warm camaraderie that all shared, it was a very delightful afternoon for all of them; Belle, though, could not fully enjoy the day. Like the holy knight, she had felt a pain in her gut at the news of Ramza's departure, but, as she had a tendency to meld into the background, no one noticed the sudden flash of pain that tore through her face. While she just barely knew, and taken the time to know, Mustadio, she really couldn't care less that he was leaving. The other three, however, were more important to her then she thought they knew. Alicia was her first confident, the first person she had opened herself up to, and the chemist would sorely miss the young, bright woman. The absence of Lavian would also weigh heavily on the chemist; the trust and faith that Lavian had given was something Belle would cherish.

Then there was Ramza, the man who, unknowingly at the time, had rescued her from hell, or the closest thing to hell in the mortal realm. Sharing the same thoughts as Agrias, Belle didn't want Ramza to leave. Ever since that day, so long but not long ago, he had been a solid foundation for the chemist. The thought of that safety net gone scared her. Oh, she knew that she would have Agrias and Olivia with her, and she had formed friendships with both, but they weren't him. The intense feelings that had developed only complicated the issue; she couldn't say that she loved him. No, not love, not the forever love that a woman shares with a man; Belle wasn't sure if she ever would feel that kind of love. It was something more primal that Belle felt, something that excited and frightened her; Olivia knew, and she had admitted to it herself. Belle desired Ramza; it was the first time, since she was a young woman, when her world had not been shattered and she could dream of her wants, that she yearned to lie with a man.

She was terrified to act upon her urges, not only because they represented something she had loathed for many years, but she also feared that, if she did, the relationship the two had would crumble. It was the only time Belle wished Ramza would act like other men, and show outward signs of his desires and lusts; if he had looked at her in the way that she was used to, only once, she would have acted. Frustratingly, the man didn't seem to acknowledge any of the women as a sexual creature. He would gaze upon Belle the same as he would Alicia, Olivia, or a random woman walking down a street.

So she had stifled her actions, and hid her feelings; now Ramza would be leaving, and a new fear had awakened. The thought of him gone, without him at least knowing how important he was to her, gave her the determination that she would need. Thus, when evening came and the two men stood to head into town, Belle, trying to still her nervousness, stood as well, asking the squire, "May I come with you? Tonight, I mean, to help."

Ramza, who did notice the unusual silence and stillness from the chemist that evening, arched an eyebrow with mild surprise. Glancing quickly at Agrias, who looked curious at the chemist's request, but didn't make any indications that Belle shouldn't go, he nodded at the chemist, telling her, "Sure, I don't see why not. We'd love to have your company as we search the market."

Belle swallowed, and forced herself to sound casual, "Well, I doubt you'd need more then two, you do have your enchanted bag after all." A few days out of Zaland Ramza had mentioned the second pack that he purchased for himself, when he suddenly took out a wood-axe to gather fuel for the fire. Belle continued after she heard no argument from the squire, "So why not let Mustadio stay here? I'm sure he and Lavian would appreciate as much alone time as they can get."

The mechanic, who was about to argue, thinking that he should participate in the shopping, clamped his mouth shut, his cheeks flushing slightly as he shared a glance with Lavian. Seeing the woman grin promisingly, Mustadio changed his mind, telling Ramza, "You know, I do believe that Belle has a good point; why should all of us go out when we don't have to?" he paused, eyeing Lavian, speaking somberly, although he obviously was jesting, as his face had a wide grin, "I will make the sacrifice, staying here, braving the horrors of luxury." Lavian giggled at the mechanic, clasping one of his arms, and pulling him back to a couch.

Ramza sighed, placing a hand upon his face, shaking his head slightly; perhaps it was a mistake bringing Lavian with them. Mustadio would be constantly distracted. Glancing up, he saw that the two were already in their own world, speaking quietly to one another, cuddled like they were the night before. Ramza wouldn't break up their budding relationship, and he knew Lavian would be more… professional once they were on the road. Turning to Belle, he told her, "Let me get my bag, and then we'll go."

Belle only nodded in return, happy that she would be able to, if nothing else, spend a few hours with him. As she waited patiently for Ramza to return, she watched her friends to see how, or if, they responded to her impromptu outing; surprisingly, only Olivia was watching the chemist, their eyes meeting when Belle glanced around the room. Words were unspoken, but the message was clear; Olivia knew what Belle wanted. The princess hesitated a moment, still loyal to Agrias, but the holy knight had made no advances to the squire. Belle was going to do something during their time together - Olivia wasn't sure if it would be physical or not - but she couldn't disapprove of it. She gave Belle a nod, and a small smile; she trusted Ramza to treat Belle right, regardless of what they did, if anything.

Ramza rejoined them shortly, and with a wave and some good-byes, the two left, exiting the castle, leaving the cathedral grounds, and entering the market. While it was evening, the marketplace of Lionel held long hours; there was still over an hour before the sun actually set, but merchants would be selling their wares for a few hours after, globes of magical light, provided by the Church, lighting up the market. Unlike the poor quarter, the marketplace was well guarded, the wealthier merchants and citizens demanding the extra protection; due to the very low crime rate, and the constant activity, the market place was kept operational much longer and later than normally seen in a smaller town. The vast variety of merchants also kept prices rather low.

Ramza was glad for this open competition, able to get good prices for necessary gear; as he was leading his own expedition, so to say, Ramza made sure he had everything that they might need for the long trip, from simple tools like fishhooks and wire, to a few spare arms and armor. Ramza knew that Agrias would probably give him any spare equipment he asked for from the cache the squire himself purchased, but those goods were gifts, in essence. He didn't plan or expect that the goods would follow him if he left, and he was fine with that.

Belle was thoroughly enjoying the evening; as soon as they had left the grounds, she had clamped onto one of his arms, resting her body next to his. Ramza didn't seem to mind, beside the initial blush that covered his face when he felt the woman's bosom rest upon his arm and side. The squire wasn't all business as they walked through the stands, speaking warmly to the woman by his side, taking time to purchase small treats for both of them. The sun had set by the time Ramza purchased the last items on his list, some solid pots and pans, stuffing the dishes into his magical pack; Belle, not wanting to head back yet, suggested a tavern where they could rest their feet and get a drink. The squire raised no opposition, and soon the two were occupied in a small booth, Ramza ordering a light snack of breads, a glass of wine for Belle, and some cool milk for himself.

"Why do you always get milk?" Belle asked abruptly, realizing that she had yet to see the squire drink a drop of alcohol. The squire always asked for milk first, followed by water.

Ramza chuckled, "Old habits, really." He paused, thinking back for a moment, a small smile on his face, "It's been three years now, I'd guess, since I've last had something potent to drink. Back in my cadet days I'd sample some liquor from time to time." He shook his head, "Normally I'd get myself a healthy buzz before calling it quits." Ramza shrugged, "One night, while on the road with some friends, I got carried away. Had ourselves a right party going around the fire, and I got a little, um, distracted. Didn't notice the intake, I guess." He shifted, grasping the delivered mug of milk and taking a sip, avoiding Belle's gaze; that night, long ago, his attention was fully on someone else, and what her body promised to do to him, "Anyway, we all started to drift off; my shift was first, but I kept sampling our bottle." He shook his head, "Got jumped by goblins. I was too inebriated to warn anyone; they nearly killed me, and two of my friends, afore the others woke up and drove them off."

Ramza paused, taking a piece of bread and chewing on it, before turning back to Belle, "Haven't taken a sip since. Not even when I'm off the road. Didn't like being unable to control myself, or the sluggish feeling I got."

Belle nodded, taking small sips of her wine, watching the man, sorry that she had brought up the painful memory. Not enjoying the silence that hung over them, she switched topics, speaking to Ramza about the day's sights; her tactic worked, and the faint trace of sorrow fled the squire's face. Time passed as the two enjoyed the other's company, Belle only tasting a few glasses of wine, while Ramza, after his mug of milk, used plain water to quench his thirst. After a few hours, Ramza started to stand, telling Belle, "It is getting rather late. We should head back."

Belle, knowing it was now or never, reached up, grasping his arm, holding him still, blurting, "Wait!" The squire complied, looking at Belle curiously. She swallowed, feeling nervous; she had all right to be, after all. Normally she was the prey, not the predator, and she had never asked for a man's company before, it was always forced upon her. Locking her eyes into his, she, shyly, asked him, "…Can we stay here for the night?"

Ramza blinked, not comprehending, and Belle, starting to blush, elaborated, "Not for the whole night!" she squirmed, "I just… I want to share a bed with you, if only for a little while."

Not even Ramza was that dense; he looked very unsure, though. He knew of her past, and hesitated, staring at the chemist with a mixture of concern, embarrassment, and fear, "Um, but… don't…"

Belle, seeing his unease, leaned forward, grasping his hand within hers, "I want to. Please. If it's with you… If it's with you, I think it will bring some… closure." Belle lightly caressed his hand, looking at him intensely. "I… I trust you."

Ramza could only stare at the woman, his mind turning; there were many conflicts with Belle's desire. He'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't have those primal lusts for the voluptuous woman; but the thought of intimately touching her, after all the horrors she had experienced frightened the man. What if he made things worse? What if she didn't see him lying next to her, but one of her tormenters? One of her rapists? He couldn't bare the thought of her fearing him. He swallowed, talking softly, "I… I don't know…" He heard her catch her breath, and he blurted, "It's not that you're… dirty, or undesirable, or anything like that, Belle! You're beautiful." He blushed, "But… what if… I don't want to hurt you."

Belle wet her lips, sliding her chair forward, and bringing her face next to his. Not too long ago, being this close to a man would have caused her to panic, caused her head to hurt, stomach to ache, and limbs tremble. Oh, her stomach was flipping and she was trembling slightly, but it wasn't from fear. Closing the short distance, she let her lips graze the side of his mouth, whispering, "_You_ won't hurt me." Swallowing, Belle waited to see if he would draw away from her; when he remained still, his breathing coming quicker, she succumbed to her needs, placing her lips atop his. It was gentle, and didn't last long, as they were still in the busy dining room of a local tavern; breaking apart, Belle laid her forehead on his, waiting.

The squire's eyes lingered in hers, inspecting her face, as if he was committing it to memory. If he could damn the consequences, he would take her upstairs now, but he needed to know something, "What… what of tomorrow?"

Part of her had hoped he would forget the future, and think of only this moment, but she had the feeling that Ramza would question what would come afterward, "Tomorrow you leave."

Ramza blinked at her bluntness, opening his mouth to reply, seeing the faint sadness that shadowed her eyes, but Belle interrupted, "You rescued me, protected me, and cared for me. You are the first man to call me beautiful and mean it." Belle almost choked, having to pause a moment; out of everything the squire had done or said, those words meant the most to her. The squire was wrong, though. She _was_ dirty; unclean, damaged, barren, and broken. She would not let him settle for something lesser than him.

"I love you." She whispered, watching his eyes widen, stalling him from speaking yet again, "And I don't expect you to love me back." She lifted a hand, caressing his face, gazing into his eyes, "Your heart has too much conflict within it, and I do not want to add to that burden. All I want, all I need, is for you to love me _tonight_."

Ramza, silenced by the passion in her voice, only nodded, watching her for a few more moments. She did speak the truth; his heart was being pulled in too many places, his head was distracted, too busy for romance. There still seemed to be a hint of sadness in her eyes, but her words were honest; swallowing, he asked her, "You're positive you want this?" Belle nodded; he remained still for a moment, and then returned her nod, giving a small smile. Standing, pulling up the chemist gently with him, Ramza, quickly locating the innkeeper, approached the man, Belle's hand clasped firmly in his. Speaking briefly to the owner, Ramza deftly secured a room for the evening, exchanging some gil for a room key. In short time, the two had moved upstairs to their room.

The room itself was rather ordinary; it was clean but small, with a comfortable bed against one wall, a small desk on the other. As the building was in a well guarded area, the window could open, although bars were present in the window frame. Ramza, after pulling Belle in, gently closed the door, turning the lock, and moved to the small oil lamp, lighting it with the matches provided. He then opened the window, letting in a cool breeze, along with the noises of the street below. Finished his settings, he turned to look at Belle.

The chemist hadn't moved from the door, leaning against it, her eyes following the squire. She was nervous, almost frightened. It was a different fear, though; she didn't feel threatened, but full of suspense, an almost exhilarating suspense. Her heart beat loudly as Ramza stopped moving, staring at her; he approached her, not stalking like some men had, but cautiously. Wanting to drive away any doubts from the man, she aggressively strode forward, closing the small distance, slamming her mouth against his in a passionate kiss. Ramza was surprised, but quickly adapted, their lips exploring one another; although her actions implied haste for their coupling, Ramza knew that a slower pace would better ease her nerves, as well as his own.

Belle felt her nerves disappear, replaced with a desperate anticipation, a heat that spread all over her body. She started pulling at his cloths, wanting to feel flesh and muscle, smell his scent. Ramza clasped her arms, slowing her hasty hands, and started to slowly undress the chemist, using his actions to prompt hers; she caught on and slowed her pace, thankful that he had stalled her. She wanted to actually enjoy this. Knowing that there was no rush, the two did eventually lose all of their clothing, always one having their lips on the other.

They did not use their eyes to roam the other's body; instead, their hands did all the seeing. Belle had a moment of panic when Ramza pulled her onto the bed, but her fear quickly fled, as he did not pull himself on top of her, but next to her, both laying side by side. Belle appreciated their positioning; she still felt unready for that feeling, the feeling of someone above her, their weight suppressing her. Once she had situated herself, she continued her exploration, running her hands across his chest, back, stomach, and butt. Ramza mimicked her, only his touches were more teasing, as he deftly avoided her most erogenous zones, caressing her breasts but avoiding her sensitive nipples, tickling her lower stomach, close but never touching the warm lips that awaited him. Ramza let Belle set the pace, moving onto a more intimate zone when he got prompted to, Belle's voice husky with desire.

When Belle moaned her readiness, grasping onto his manhood with urgency, pulling him atop her, no longer fearing his weight, Ramza surprised her by nimbly escaping her grasp, a mischievous smile on his face, telling her "Not yet," and returned his lips to her breast, slowly starting to trail kisses down her body. Belle was confused, unsure what he was doing; Ramza had his reasons. He was no stranger to the art of lovemaking, but would not call himself a master at it. His first lover did teach him well though, taught him how to best please a woman, and that is what Ramza would do for Belle; this wasn't to satisfy his lusts, this was for Belle. Belle gasped loudly when Ramza, spreading her legs widely, reached her pelvis; she could feel his breath on her outer folds, and cried aloud when he kissed there. Self-conscious, she grasped his hair with his hands, weakly trying to pull him away; the squire ignored her, delving his tongue deep within her heat.

Belle gave a sudden, low shriek at the intense pleasure that burst from her abdomen, her body going rigid as waves of release rushed through her, her hips thrusting up onto Ramza's face, her hands, once trying to pull the man away, pressing him deeper into her folds. After long moments, Belle came down from her high, her body going limp, Ramza gently removing his lips from her dampness. The squire shifted as Belle recovered, taking his place beside her again, trailing light kisses across her neck and shoulder. Belle, the fog in her head dispersing, sought Ramza's lips once more, not caring that his mouth tasted faintly of her nectar. Their lips dancing, she again pulled him above her; this time he did not retreat, letting her guide his manhood to her lips. Belle could feel his tip press lightly on her opening, but he went no further, seeming to hesitate once more. Opening her eyes, and freeing her lips, she thrust her hips upward in encouragement, telling him huskily, "Love me, Ramza."

She gave a soft moan as he granted her wish, pushing firmly, but slowly, into her, giving her a moment to adjust to him. Belle pressed into him, arching her back, enjoying the weight on her pelvis, and feeling such joy at that thought. Ramza, seeing the desire burning in her eyes, started rocking, his tempo steady; the squire was determined to prolong Belle's pleasure, and knew if he rushed things he wouldn't be able to last. For long minutes the only sounds that drifted in the room were of two bodies colliding together, moans and grunts accompanying the movement. Soon, Ramza felt himself nearing the edge, and needed to back off; sinking fully into Belle, who hissed at the feeling, the squire shifted his arms, putting all his weight onto the chemist. Belle gasped at the sudden pressure, wondering what the squire was doing; it soon became clear, as, with a grunt, Ramza twisted their bodies, pulling Belle from under him to above.

Belle, straddling Ramza, a cool breeze drifting over her back, froze at the sudden shift. In all her years of copulation, she had never experienced this sensation, this lack of weight holding her down. Always she had been pinned, forced into the dirt or restrained against a wall, dominated and abused by the man violating her. Laying atop Ramza, feeling him deep inside of her, the woman didn't know what to do; it was the squire's turn to lead, gently pushing her torso up from his, allowing him to tease her breasts. His hands moved to her hips, guiding her to gently rock them. Belle, gripping his shoulders, continued the movement when Ramza's hands left her sides, moving to caress her swaying breasts. Seeing, and feeling, that Ramza was happily content playing with her tender bosom, Belle explored this new position, finding it very easy to set the speed of their lovemaking, giving Belle, for the first time, full control.

Ramza grinned at the obvious pleasure Belle was showing; again, he had his first lover to thank for her excellent lessons. It wasn't that this position was complicated; it was just extremely uncommon for couples to practice it. Every nationality had different views on sex, Ivalice, as it was primarily run by the clergy, being more functional and patriarchal when dealing with the art of love. The exotic southern cotenant, across the treacherous Bugross Sea, was filled with darker, reddish skinned people, who had a more open view of sexuality. His lover, from Valendia, taught him their arts.

Belle soon discovered why the women of Valendia preferred this pose above others; as she experimented, she realized the more she straightened herself, the deeper Ramza went. It wasn't a painful fullness, like she felt when she was taken from behind. The squire's organ was rubbing her insides in a much more pleasurable way; the nerves along her tunnel were screaming with sensory overload, the tip of his manhood rubbing an untouched part of her. Demanding release, Belle started to frantically rock her hips forward, her hands digging into his chest, leaving marks, emitting an ever increasing moan; within moments, an indescribable explosion erupted from her womb. She cried aloud when she felt Ramza throb, his own release coming seconds after hers, the feeling of his eruption prolonging hers. She collapsed, letting her weight fall on him, holding him tight as she fell from heaven once again.

The room fell silent, both breathing heavily, catching their breaths, the sound from the street below again trickling into the room. No words were spoken, none were needed; Belle lay in Ramza's arms, feeling satisfied and loved, his arms holding her close. The chemist lost track of time as she lay on her lover, faintly feeling him slip out of her, allowing herself to drift, idly tracing her hands across Ramza's body. They snuggled for a quarter hour before Ramza started to stir, his eyes bright, noting that they should probably clean up. Belle giggled, agreeing, unwrapping her body from his, sitting up gingerly; her pelvis and inner legs ached, but it was a good kind of tenderness. They cleaned themselves with the bedding and got dressed; surprisingly the air wasn't awkward between the two. Neither regretted what they had done, but both were worried that something would change between them. As Ramza finished, tucking in his pants, watching Belle lace up her bodice, he realized that their lovemaking did not complicate his feelings for her.

Belle was also watching Ramza out of the corner of her eyes, processing the evening, and coming to the same conclusion as the squire; she loved him, and would probably always love him, but it would never develop into anything lasting. He was her cherished friend, but would never be her husband; she had given up those dreams. Belle had accepted her place, by choice, and was happy. For the first time in years, truly happy. Finished dressing, she faced the squire, smiling brightly, feeling her heart flutter when he returned the grin, coming close to embrace her. She melted into his arms, breathing his scent in, memorizing it; he withdrew after a few moments, gazing down at her, and softly asked her, "Ready?"

Belle nodded, "Yes… and thank you."

He blushed, shifting slightly; he didn't reply to her thanks, instead asking, "How do you feel?"

His question startled the chemist, who looked at him curiously; after a moment of pondering, she replied, "Happy."

"That's all the thanks I need, then. Thank you for letting me help you feel happy." He grinned, grasping her hand and shouldering his sack. He chuckled at the blush that rushed on Belle's face, telling her, "Let go, before they send out a search party."

The chemist nodded, following Ramza out of the room; after the squire returned the room key, they left the inn, heading back to the castle. It was late, the activity within the city almost stopped, most of it's inhabitants back at their homes in bed. They didn't encounter any difficulties during their walk back, however, and were soon talking to a watchguard, showing the blunt man their papers bearing Cardinal Draclau's seal. Finally reaching the Royal Wing, the two faced the entrance to the common room, a faint noise heard from behind the door. There was one brief moment of awkwardness as the two stared at their still clasped hands; Ramza seemed hesitant to release her hand, not wanting to hurt Belle's feelings. Belle, not oblivious to other women's feelings, knew that trouble could follow them if they walked in; she gave Ramza a warm smile and slid her hand out of his. The heavy air lifted, and Ramza smirked back, giving her shoulder a small rub before opening the door.

Although it wasn't necessarily late, Ramza thought that some of his friends would have retired; he would be wrong, as they were all up, some, such as Agrias, who sat up as soon as they came in, asking what took them so long, waiting for the duo to return. Mustadio also stood, questioning Ramza about the supplies; the other three women only looked up, too engrossed in the card game all five were playing. Ramza chuckled at the sudden rush of questions, passing Mustadio his sack while explaining that they had lost track of time. Belle, even though the two had agreed not to share details on what really occupied their evening, gave a sigh of relief regardless; her moment of anxiety was noticed by someone, though. To even the observant Agrias, the to seemed no different around the other then they had in the morning, so no one would even fathom the idea that they had been intimate.

Olivia, her observation skills sharper then anyone, was the one who noticed Belle's moment of worry. The princess knew before they had left that Belle would, most likely, confess her feelings for the squire, and, when the chemist joined the three women on the couch, sitting across from Olivia, the highborn watching the low, her intuition was confirmed. The young woman, holding Belle's gaze, flicked her eyes from her to the squire, busy talking to both Agrias and Mustadio; Belle caught on quick, unable to fully stifle a blush that spread on her cheeks, and gave the princess a nod. Olivia paused for a moment, her face blank, watching older woman squirm slightly before giving a small smile, returning the faint nod. The princess couldn't fault her or Ramza; it wasn't her business to control who had coitus with whom.

The night didn't last much longer; beside Olivia, who knew of their activities, and Agrias, who didn't fully buy the 'lost track of time' excuse, the rest of the evening passed as if the two had never left. The holy knight seemed slightly sullen, mostly at the thought that her friends would be leaving in the morning, but was happy to spend what time they had left together. A few hours before the midnight hour, they all retired. Agrias noticing that Belle seemed particularly cheery, humming a simple song as she dressed for bed; asked about her good mood, the chemist only replied that she had an enjoyable evening.

Morning came and after a light breakfast the four travelers were ready to go; they spent a few minutes saying their goodbyes, Lavian and Alicia hugging the three remaining women warmly, the young wizard getting a little teary eyed. Mustadio was more formal and awkward, bowing to Olivia, who giggled at his clumsy display, and shaking Belle's and Agrias's hands. Ramza started to mimic the mechanic, arching his back to bow before the princess, when Olivia huffed, yanking the man into a hug, telling him that Mustadio's display was bad enough. Ignoring Mustadio's disapproving shout over the sound of laughter, Ramza agreed, ruffling the younger woman's hair fondly. Olivia rather enjoyed the sensation; it was what she imagined an elder brother would do. Olivia was replaced by Belle, who hugged the man warmly, her eyes dry, telling him to look after Alicia. He grinned in response, promising that he would.

After the chemist withdrew, he was left facing Agrias; the holy knights' face was calm, but he could see an inner turmoil within her sapphire eyes. He hesitated for a heartbeat before pulling the startled holy knight into a hug; as they had never embraced before, Ramza thought that she would resist, or try to slip away. He was surprised that she caved into his hold, wrapping her hands tightly around him; he gently rubbed her back, telling her, "We'll be gone for a few weeks, a month at most; I'll return everyone safely to you."

The holy knight remained silent; she startled herself that she had given in so easily to Ramza's touch, and allowed herself the selfish moment. Realizing that his departure meant more to her then she thought, she steadied her voice, telling him, "I know you will. We'll be waiting for you. Be safe."

"You too."


	17. Reluctant Hero: Chapter 16

**Author Notes:** On one hand, hooray for me for finally getting this out there, and on the other hand I suck for taking so long to get this here.

Sorry; again, life, work, etc.

Still, here is another chapter, and I do hope you all enjoy it. I've already realized that those dedicated few who enjoy the story will forgive the sporadic updates, and for those who can't - too bad.

I really don't recall any negative or nitpicking reviews from the previous chapter, aside from the overwhelming cry to update more. I'll try, people, I will.

So enjoy everyone, and again a heartfelt thanks for your patience.

* * *

Alicia idly prodded the fire, covering her mouth as she yawned, waiting for the sun to rise on their third day since leaving Lionel Castle. Feeling her eyes droop, she abruptly stood, shaking her head to force the remaining sleep from her; a few minutes ago Mustadio had roused her for the fourth shift, the tired mechanic crawling back into his tent to get a few more hours of sleep. To be honest, she was rather happy that she got the last night watch; she welcomed the uninterrupted sleep, and she had always loved sunrises. The young woman settled once again, staring at the fire, confident that no danger was lurking about; they were still within the castle's limits and this land was heavily patrolled by the Church's warriors, allowing for a rather relaxed mood for any adventures traveling Lionel's roads.

Well, not all of Lionel's roads; the western part of Lionel, between Goug and the small town they would reach by this afternoon, Latterton, was an area known as the Zigolis Swamp, a vast bog that would take days to travel through, even if they were on chocobos, and no road paved the way for them; Zigolis Swamp was a no-man's land.

That knowledge refreshed the reoccurring strange feeling she had the day they marched out of Lionel Castle; although Ramza had gotten all of the supplies they would need for their trip, the one thing he and Belle could not acquire was a set of four chocobos. They could purchase everything else easily, at an affordable price, but the chocobo herders Ramza spoke with either refused to sell him the giant birds, or priced the animals unreasonably high. The group had spent about an hour trying to find a reasonable seller, but was unsuccessful. Their seven day trip would be lengthened to twelve days, and the squire thoughtfully wrote a note to Agrias, letting her know that their return would be closer to a month than not.

Alicia was hopeful that things would get more interesting once they passed through Latterton; the past two days were dreadfully boring. The young brunette wasn't a thrill seeker, she rather disliked fighting, to be honest, but anything would be better then two days of near silence. Not that there was no talking, mind you; Mustadio and Lavian often spent time alone speaking to one another, giving Alicia the chance to walk alongside Ramza, coaxing him into some conversations, but the squire had been acting distant the past two days. He would often excuse himself and pull Mustadio aside, speaking with the man firmly about something before the engineer would loudly decline whatever Ramza was offering. Whatever they were speaking of, Ramza would always come back rather disgruntled, and any further attempts of conversation fell short.

The wizard sighed morosely as she tended the fire, adding a few more pieces of firewood to the flame, preparing for breakfast; Ramza confused the young woman. Alicia liked him, a lot, really, and the times that they did share in good conversation caused a warm fuzzy feeling in her tummy, but she didn't know much about the man. Some things were easy to see, like how he was completely oblivious to subtle flirtation or how he still hid his past from everyone, but she was determined to find out more. She had always been a knowledge seeker, so she had a firm belief that if she got to really know the man, she would better sort her own feelings for him. At first, Alicia thought the absence of Agrias, Belle, or even Olivia was the cause of Ramza's distracted mind, as the wizard herself missed all three already, but, after studying the man carefully, she realized that was not the case. It had something to do with Mustadio, Alicia was sure; but what, she didn't know.

Feeling slightly frustrated, she instantly decided she would find out, today; Ramza was usually first to rise, so she would corner the squire and demand answers. Feeling a rush of determination, she waited for the squire, thinking and rethinking her plan of attack.

The time passed quickly for the plotting woman, and before she realized it the sun started to chase away the night, an orange light shining from the treetops; Alicia idly began cooking their breakfast, a simple meal of oatmeal and bacon, her hands moving on their own, familiar with the chore. As the bacon started to sizzle, the objective of her plan exited his tent, stretching in the morning air. Alicia, watching the food so it wouldn't burn, said her good mornings, and got one in return; knowing that there was no better time than the present, she raised her gaze, steeling her face, ready to demand some answers.

"Ramza…" her words died on her lips as she faced the man and realized that there was something much different this morning then the others; the squire was smiling, his eyes twinkling in the morning light. The past few days his mornings have been lackluster, to say the least, but for some reason, today he seemed like his normal self. Fully frustrated now, her gaze fell back at the food, and she muttered, "…figures…"

"Pardon?"

Alicia blushed, facing him again, noticing that he was looking at her curiously; feeling embarrassed, but stubborn, she blurted, "It just… You've been dragging your feet the past few days and I was…" she frowned, glaring at the man as if all the world's woes were his fault, "It figures that the day I try to help you, get some answers out of you, you go and get better all by yourself."

The squire blinked at her outburst, scratching his neck lightly, hesitating a moment, "I'm sorry; I didn't realize how absentminded I've been." He gave her a small grin, "I do thank you for your concern, though. It's very thoughtful of you."

The woman eyed the bacon, prodding it with a knife, asking, "So, what has been weighing so heavily on your mind, anyways?"

Ramza accepted the bowl of oatmeal and bacon from Alicia with thanks, and took a bite before answering, "Well… a lot of things, really. I'm still trying to shrug off that odd feeling I got in Lionel Castle," he grinned when Alicia nodded in agreement, "But mostly it's Mustadio and this… mission, I guess, of his."

Alicia, having served herself, spoke around her mouthful, "What's wrong with Mustadio? He seems content enough."

Ramza chuckled at the wizard's muffled words, "Don't speak with your mouth full."

Alicia glared at him, earning her a quiet laugh from the squire, "Don't avoid the question!"

Ramza grinned, finishing another spoonful of food, "Well, the problem is Mustadio's too content. I've been pestering him to lead this expedition to his father, but he keeps on refusing. It's frustrating."

The woman shrugged, "Why bother? You're leading us."

Ramza sighed, "I shouldn't be. Mustadio should; he'd make a fine commander, if he just got over his confidence issues."

Alicia, confused, remained silent for a moment, watching Ramza chew, before asking, "Is it really that important?" She ignored his raised eyebrow, "I mean, you're really stuck on this 'leader' thing; you didn't make a fuss about it when we were traveling to Lionel."

"I didn't have to; Agrias was our commander. She was the driving force behind our goal." Ramza nodded to his tent, where Mustadio still slept, "Just like Mustadio is the driving force behind our new goal."

"But is it really that important?" she was growing frustrated again, not understanding. "It's a given that we're going to defer to you. Lavian and I have already acted upon your commands, and it seems natural following them."

Ramza remained silent, finishing his meal; once done, he set aside the bowl, speaking quietly, "Be that as it may, but I don't hold any loyalty to this mission." Alicia was about to object when he silenced her, "Hush, let me finish." He gave a small grin when she pouted, "I don't mean that I have no loyalty to you." He didn't notice Alicia's blush as he paused, pondering for a moment, "It just doesn't _feel_ right that Mustadio isn't the one rousing us in the morning, planning the path we will take to his own father." He scratched his chin, his face faintly shadowed by stubble, "This isn't _my_ story; it's his."

The squire fell silent, staring into the fire; Alicia continued to stare at him, however, feeling that Ramza's troubles did not end there. She was sure that he told her the truth, but he was still holding something back; perhaps it was all the time they had been spending together, but she could just tell more weighed on his mind by the way he sat, a small smile on his face. She gave a quiet cough to catch his attention, and asked once his gaze turned back to her, "Is that all?"

Ramza, not wanting to burden the wizard with his troubles and fears, opened his mouth to tell her that he was fine, but the words died on his lips as he caught her staring at him pointedly, her eyes knowing, a small frown on her face; he gave a small chuckle, shaking his head in wonder, and muttered, "You see right through me, don't you Alicia?" he gave her a grin when she blushed, but her gaze remained firm and he quickly amended, "No, I guess that's not all; I have other matters that had muddled my head." He shifted, shrugging slightly, "The other reason I've been pestering Mustadio into a leadership role is selfish; I didn't want the responsibility." He frowned, realizing that was a lie, "No…. that's not completely true…"

Alicia let him remain silent for a few moments before she spoke, her eyes determined, but her voice gentle, "What's the real reason, Ramza?"

Ramza hesitated for only a moment before he spoke, "I'm afraid." Alicia's eyes widened in surprise, both at his admittance and at the bluntness of which he spoke; Ramza continued without pause, "I'm afraid of the responsibility; I'm terrified that I will make a mistake, causing you to be hurt or killed." As he spoke, Alicia slid closer to the squire, laying her hand gently on his arm, "I know I've learned from my past mistakes, and I vow I will not abandon those who need me ever again, but sometimes I doubt myself, my convictions." He eyed the delicate hand that lay on his forearm wistfully before bringing his gaze to her face, "I'm frightened of the trust everyone has in me, and the trust I have in everyone; it's been years since I've had that honor, and I so desperately don't want it to break." He pause, glancing at the tents where his other two companions still dozed, "With all these fears and doubts, I didn't think myself ready, or worthy, to lead you."

"You're ready." The young woman spoke with such confidence that Ramza's throat got tight and his eyes turned to her again, "You've been ready for weeks, looking after all of us, caring for us." Alicia held his gaze, her hazel eyes preventing him from avoiding her words, "Even though you say Agrias was leading us, you were the one driving us forward; you inspire everyone to be greater than what they are. You inspire me with courage and confidence; I trust you with my life, Ramza, and would follow you to the gates of Hades, against the Lucavi themselves." Alicia stopped, caught up in her words, not intending the last bit to be said aloud, and blushed in embarrassment.

Ramza spoke softly, his voice thick from his tightened throat, "Thank you, Alicia; your words and friendship mean more to me then I could possibly express." He swallowed a few times, steadying his voice, "I won't fail you, any of you."

Alicia shivered at his vow, feeling a sudden, massive, powerful presence emanate from the squire, and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Ramza would keep his word. A few minutes of silence passed, the two enjoying a comfortable silence; the overwhelming aura lingering for only a few heartbeats, Alicia still watching the squire with a mixture of curiosity and wonder; only once before had she felt Ramza's presence like that, when he had remained loyal to the Princess and vanquished the dark knight Gafgarion. She couldn't describe the feeling in words, but she knew Ramza could inspire his friends and cower his foes; he was born to be a leader, yet so reluctant to accept his role.

The silence was broken by some muttering as Mustadio exited the men's tent, giving a stretch and yawn before joining the other two by the fire; he gave a mumbled thanks for the food before eating. Moments after the mechanic graced the two fully awake travelers, Lavian joined the trio, her hair un-brushed but her eyes clear. She gave everyone a smile and good-morning before joining Mustadio, sitting next to the half awake man and taking a plate of food from Ramza. They finished the meal in relative silence, light talk hovering over the fire; once everyone had their fill, and the dishes scraped and cleaned, the group started to move about, cleaning up their small campsite for the day's hike.

For the past few days, the schedule was the same: travel until noon, rest to eat, travel until dusk, sleep; Ramza, surprising everyone, changed the schedule. The squire, silent during the morning, prodded the other three onward, not letting them rest once the sun reached its peak, insisting on covering some more ground; Mustadio was the only one to complain, but it was light hearted, the group eating while they walked. They passed through the small town of Latterton without any fanfare, stopping only to refresh their water supply before exiting the woodworking settlement; passing through the western gate of the walled town, they were no longer in peaceful lands. The group had entered Zigolis Swamp, a bog filled with many types of monsters, as well as, if the rumors were true, the cursed undead. It wasn't until three or four more hours passed, and all signs of human settlements gone, that Ramza halted the tired and sore group; when he started to unpack and set up a tent, the others quickly got the hint, and with few words but many confused looks, they set up camp for the night.

Once the camp was organized, Ramza allowed the tired group a few minutes' rest, although the squire himself kept busy, moving around the area, muttering to himself and moving odd rocks or branches around; all three watched him wearily, unsure what to make of his sudden energy. The squire ignored them and continued his odd work around the area; the campsite Ramza had chosen was elevated, leaving the ground hard and dry, but there was very little cover, only a few sparse trees and bushes spread around the bog. The squire deemed cover of little value in the humid, damp bog, knowing he and his friends would rather prefer not sinking into the muck during the night.

Once Ramza finished his chore, he joined the other three; they were still eying him with curious looks, but they all seemed to have recovered their breath. The squire flashed a grin, digging around in his sack, before tossing a surprised Mustadio a sheathed sword, telling the juggling man, "It's time you learned how to use one of these, Mustadio." Ramza abruptly tossed the stuttering man a shield, cutting off the mechanic's attempt to object, who was glancing between the squire and the east. "I know we are in haste, but I will not have us arrive in Goug unprepared. You father will remain alive and in good health for as long as the Bart Company does not have what they seek."

Mustadio, appeased by the squire's words, gave a slow nod, before pointing to his sheathed firearm, asking, "But I have-"

He was interrupted by the squire, "Yes, I know your gun is a powerful weapon, but it's useless in close quarters; you'd be cut down by a skilled knight before you could shoot twice, so you'll be spending some time every night learning how to wield a sword, or axe, or spear, whatever weapon that feels right in your hands." Turning to Lavian, he tossed the woman a set of heavily padded and armored gloves, telling her, "And you'll be training him. Use these armored gloves; they'll protect your hands as you spar with Mustadio."

Lavian caught the gloves deftly, watching the squire, her face neutral; Ramza could see the questions dancing in her eyes, so he elaborated, "Don't worry, little monk, you'll get your training too."

"Call me 'little monk' again, and we'll you won't live long enough to train me!" growled Lavian, although there was little actual heat to her words; the nickname irked the woman, but Ramza's bright smile soothed her temper.

"Duly noted, Lavian," the squire smoothly replied, "But don't change the subject. I'll spend some time with you today as well, teaching you some of the more advanced martial arts. Until then, teach our engineer how to wield a blade and hold a shield."

Lavian returned his smile and nodded, feeling suddenly excited for her training; she turned to Mustadio, purring, "Don't worry dear, I'll go easy on you."

"Now, now, we'll have none of that," Ramza cut short the monk's banter, his eyes mischievous, "Mustadio needs to learn fast, and the best way to do that is to keep him on his toes, so no holding back Lavian. Run the man through the ropes."

Lavian, initially meaning her words, intending to go easy on the mechanic, was startled at Ramza's interruption; _no_, Lavian realized, watching the squire, _they were orders_. _Light hearted, and laid-back, but orders the same._ Something clicked in the woman's head as she watched the squire, his face kind but eyes determined; she asked the question that would confirm her epiphany, her voice curious but also, surprisingly, hopeful, "Is that an order?"

The squire's lips curled slightly and his eyes were bright, "It is."

"Yes sir," Lavian grinned; with his words it seemed the entire trip just fell into place. Like everyone else, she felt in her bones that Ramza had always denied his calling, shying away from the responsibility that was put in front of him, leadership that he loathed and desired. She turned to her new cadet, pulling him up with her, telling the mechanic, "You heard the man. First rule – the pointy end goes into the other man."

Ramza grinned as he watched the two enter the area he had cleared for them, the monk teaching the hesitant man the basics of swordsmanship; he turned his attention to Alicia, who looked excited, and offered his hand, which she grabbed immediately, allowing her to be helped up as he continued his speech, "Come, young wizard, let us further your education."

This surprised the young woman, "You know black magic?"

The squire nodded in response, leading Alicia to the small grove of trees, before taking a seat onto the dry ground, "I know a lot of things, Alicia, but this isn't about my education, it's about yours. Do you know any of the advanced spells yet?"

The wizard's head turned slightly at Ramza's deflection, but she replied after she joined him, "I know all of the basic and intermediate elemental spells."

"Good, good; how about non elemental?" Ramza asked.

Alicia shook her head, "No, I though it more useful to master the damaging spells first. Besides, the non elemental spells are useless in a fight."

The squire grinned, "That's a common misconception; granted, wizards don't have access to a lot of non elemental spells, but the few they have can be useful. Also, the most powerful spell combines all three elements,"

"Flare…" Alicia interrupted, her voice curious, not sure where he was leading the conversation.

"Correct," Ramza continued as if he Alicia had not spoken, "Because of the complex merging of the three elements they, for all purposes, cancel the others, making Flare non elemental. Once you master the expert level spells I'll teach you the incantations for Flare."

"You… you know Flare?" Alicia asked, her eyes wide, completely surprised by his offer; she knew that he had learned many types of techniques, but he never listed any magical knowledge in the conversation he had with Agrias weeks ago. It wasn't that he was unintelligent, but she always assumed he didn't care for magic by the techniques he had used in the past.

"Perhaps," he answered vaguely again, "Or maybe I was shown the incantations by someone who can cast the spell; sadly, she is not here, so I will be the one to teach you." Giving the surprised, and confused, woman a nod, he stood, and again Alicia accepted his help up. Facing one of the trees, he told her, "There isn't much more I can teach you in regards to the three elements; once you master the basic spells, the more powerful ones mimic the weaker. It's up to you to discover where you change the incantations and movements for the more advanced spells. Aside from the theory behind Flare, which you will get to eventually, there are two other spells in the wizard's arsenal I will teach you. The first one is simple; watch closely."

Alicia nodded, and watched the squire closely as he made quick, short movements with his hands and uttered a few brief words; his spell completed quicker than even the most basic of elemental spells, the offending tree was suddenly covered in a foul, green colored substance. Ramza turned to the woman, telling her, "This is your first lesson – Poison. Much quicker than any other black magic spell, it doesn't do much initial damage, but it has the ability to weaken an enemy." He grinned, turning her so that she was facing the remaining targets, "Your turn."

--------

The rest of the week past smoothly for the travelers, although a little slower than the mechanic liked; he wasn't complaining, not seriously anyway, for the four days had been fulfilling, if not draining. Ramza kept his new schedule of walking into late afternoon without rest before settling for the night to further his friends' training; for the past four nights, the three hours before nightfall were devoted to practice. Ramza's schedule was very simple: each of the three had an hour of self-study, an hour with the squire, and an hour sparring with one of the others. It worked well, keeping all four busy and active, helping to drive away the boredom of the day, as the travel through the bog was, unexpectedly, quiet.

Only Mustadio found the hour of self-study uninteresting, as his newly learned techniques involved lots of hacking and stabbing, something that required a target to be hacked and slashed; all of them found it surprisingly easy to learn under the squire. The two women felt slightly guilty that it seemed so simple with Ramza as their tutor; Agrias was their instructor as cadets, and she was a fine one, but the squire's lessons seemed smoother then the holy knight's. It usually took several days to master a technique that Agrias was teaching, some of the more complex ones took a week or more, while within the four nights of training with Ramza, all three had mastered quite a few techniques; Mustadio more than any.

The time spent sparring was incredibly valuable for the three, as they were pitted against the student who was not training with Ramza, and the squire kept the schedule fluctuating, so all three had faced the other at one point; this allowed different fighting styles to act with others, teaching Alicia how to counter a monk and cripple a knight, Lavian how to disable a knight and devastate a wizard, and Mustadio how to halt a wizard and sap a monk. While sparring, they used padded weapons, fists, or weakened spells, but this didn't mean that injuries were uncommon; quite the opposite, actually. No one ever suffered a critical wound, but each got used to going to bed with a new bruise or sprain. Anything that could not be healed by a good night's sleep was taken care of by Ramza, who used white magic to cure their aches.

The three also learned much about Ramza during this time; aside from his superb teaching skills and frighteningly devious tactical knowledge, when he told Agrias many weeks ago that he 'knew a bit of everything', he meant it. None knew that he spent time as a priest until he healed a moderate wound Lavian suffered at the hands of Alicia; after seeing the strength of the wizard's spells, the squire took time to cast a defensive spell commonly known as Shell, used to strengthen magical defenses, on whomever Alicia's opponent was. Aside from the white magic, they quickly realized that while he could do a bit of everything, it didn't mean he was great at it; while he certainly could inspire heroics from people, he himself seemed less unstoppable the more time spent training under him.

The first time it happened the campsite got still; it was Lavian's time training under the squire, and not all the time was spent on lecture and demonstration. Ramza would often spar with his student, so the two were throwing punches and kicks at the other, their gloves and legs padded, when, early in the match, Lavian found a weakness in the squire's defense. She threw a quick and powerful right hook, flooring the squire, who had to take a few moments to regain his orientation. He congratulated the monk, not seeing the surprised look she was giving him, until he raised his hand for help up; he didn't understand that this was the first time they had seen him beaten in a fight. After some stuttering, Lavian was able to express her surprise, with Ramza calmly stating, "No one is invulnerable; everyone gets defeated sometimes."

This changed the image that some had concerning the squire, and they all took more time to watch him, realizing that he was not the strongest, smartest, quickest; he wasn't the most accurate or nimble, he was not superhuman, just human. This was not to say that he was a pushover, either; Ramza was a master tactician, and the longer the duel lasted with him, the less of a chance his opponent had of winning. His ability to calculate everything and compile all options to him at lightning speed granted him an edge during long or complicated fights; this is what his true mastery was. Combined with his years of experience, he would still come out the victor more often than the yielder; the others were pretty evenly matched, none besting the others more, although none actually kept record of such a thing.

Aside from their growth of fighting capabilities, not much, outwardly, changed in the group; Lavian and Mustadio still flirted and sauntered for the other, their eyes bright when they huddled close to talk and share warmth. Their displays of affection didn't bother the other two, not really, although the two love birds enjoyed poking fun at one or both of the others; Ramza was happy that they were happy, and Alicia enjoyed the excuse to spend her time with the squire. It was no secret that she fancied the squire from the day they met, but as the days passed sitting or walking next to him, sometimes talking and sometimes just enjoying a comfortable silence, she found that her head no longer got foggy and muddled. When she realized this, she felt a brief moment of disappointment; she rather enjoyed the euphoric feeling she got around him. The regret was gone as quickly as it came, however. During these times she did get to know the squire better, although his past was still hidden from her, but she knew Ramza hid that part of him from everyone.

With her heart no longer racing as fast as it used to in his presence, Alicia was able to carry conversations with him, and the others, more confidently, and Ramza admired the young woman's newfound determination, going as far as to change his lesson plans with her, dividing the time between magic and strategy, realizing that Alicia had a sharp mind with good intuition. Alicia grasped concepts of battle quickly, thinking the change of material Ramza had introduced was to give her a greater challenge; while this was true, the squire saw the potential in the wizard to become a respectable officer, and he did not waste the chance to help cultivate her mind.

Alicia was not the only one he tried to teach leadership to; Mustadio was not a lost cause for the squire, and he tried to develop the mechanic's logical and analytical mind, but Mustadio was less enthusiastic then Alicia was. Still, Ramza was sure that if he had a big enough confidence boost, Mustadio could lead an army to victory in the field. The special attention from Ramza was not lost on Lavian; she had a clever mouth, and was no fool, but she couldn't grasp the complex theories of large scale battle. Lavian was quite content to be a soldier and not a commander, and she stated this casually to the squire; Ramza figured this was the case, so he didn't insult her decision by including her in lessons she would rather not have. Instead he told her of what to expect if she wished to be a samurai. They had long talks of the Bushido Code; after all, monkhood was just a stepping stone for her true goal.

As with all things in life, once Ramza had gotten comfortable and settled in the way things were, something happened to up heave the newly forged peace. It was the evening of their second week of travel; early in the day lady luck had blessed them, Mustadio's sharp eyes catching a small goat path through the swamp. It ran west, towards their destination, the mechanic speculating that it led to Melekure, a small port town that ran ferries to the Island of Goug, the city named after the land. The path wasn't wide and curved around the land, but it made travel much easier, the group not having to wade through the marsh; when they got ready to retire for the night, Mustadio's hypothesis held credibility, as they found an old campsite already cleared by travelers long ago, the fire pit in disrepair but usable, the ground flat and dry. Ramza, enchanted by the ancient campsite, let the three off easy, asking them just to set up the tents, the squire volunteering to gather wood for the night's fire.

Mustadio gave a sigh of relief, pleased that he didn't have to wade through mud and muck to find dry or mostly dry wood, and sat down to relax after he had helped set up the tents, a task taking only ten minutes or so. Ramza would likely be scavenging for a half hour or more to gather enough dry wood for the night's meal, so the two women followed Mustadio's lead, settling down onto one of the large rocks set there many years ago, after dusting the improvised seats off. There was little talk as they took advantage of the rest given; even at rest, they kept a good watch on the land, not wanting to be caught by surprise by any of the native monsters lurking in the bog. While the path was probably not used often, it was still in use, so with little surprise did Mustadio spot approaching figures down the path, heading east, on their way to Lionel.

There were four of them, all obscured by long cloaks clinging to their bodies, the hoods covering their faces; at first the engineer thought it might be a father with three older children, but as the figures got closer he realized that the three shorter people were not children, but adults. The massive size difference of the leading figure, over a foot taller than, and almost twice as wide as, the three accompanying him, forced the mechanic to regard them wearily. Hopefully they meant no harm, but if they did bring trouble, the giant was the most worrisome; Mustadio stood as they continued closer, the four pausing for a moment when they saw the campsite, the occupied campsite. There was a quick discussion among the travelers before the continued forward, heading right to the standing mechanic; Mustadio saw no threatening moves, nor felt any kind of malice, but he remained cautious, motioning for Lavian and Alicia to join him. The two women made no objection, the wizard squeaking softly at the sheer size of the giant as they got closer.

The air was tense as the four strangers stopped perhaps a few dozen paces away from the group, the giant moving a few steps closer, distinguishing himself as the leader, or diplomat, depending. With the cloak obscuring their faces, and the falling sun partially blinding him, Mustadio had difficulty distinguishing detailed features of the leader and his three followers; the giant was obviously male, hopefully human and not some half-breed, and one of the other three was probably female, her figure curved in the places a woman curved and her height was the shortest of them. The other two were too ambiguous, their hooded cloaks affectively hiding their faces and bodies. All three campers could hear the rattle and squeak of armor, the faint clashing of weapons, so they were armed, but none had drawn a weapon, or even reached for one, their gloved hands in easy sight for all.

As Mustadio studied the four, he was sure that the giant was apprising him and his friends; apparently the leader liked what he saw, or deemed them nonthreatening, for he, slowly, withdrew his hood, speaking softly, his voice very deep and rumbling, "May easy trail and good health find you this evening, friend." The mechanic recognized the greeting, one spoken as truce, used to form companionship between two men, or groups; Mustadio had expected the friendly words, but who spoke them caught the man off guard. With the hood removed, a grinning face was seen, but the man it belonged to was no Ivalician; a dark, cheerful, ebony face peered back at the group. This man hailed from Ordalia, Ivalice's eastern neighbor and, until a decade ago, fierce rival. The people of Ordalia looked different from those born in Ivalice, and some historians say the difference between the two peoples had kindled the wars between them; Ordalian's skin were of a darker tone, ranging from light to dark brown, sometimes almost black. Aside from the obvious color difference, Ordalian's had stronger jaws and fuller lips, standing taller than the average Ivalician man. The Ordalian standing before them was bigger than that, towering above the rest at six and a half feet; he was grinning widely, his face kind, the white of his teeth more pronounced against his dark face. His head was bald, a finely groomed, thick goatee highlighting his mouth.

So caught up in surprise, Mustadio almost forgot to reply, only doing so after Lavian had nudged the mechanic, "And may warm nights and hot food grace your path." Mustadio completed the ceremony, then, surprising himself, spoke again, "You're welcome to share our fire and food tonight, friends, if you'd so like." As he spoke, he gestured to the pit; following his own hand, and remembering that the fire was not yet lit, he gave an embarrassed smile, "Er, although we're still waiting for the fire part."

The giant chuckled, answering the smaller man, "I thank you for your kind offer, friend, but I'm afraid we're pushing forward; we would be grateful for a few moments of your time, though."

Mustadio blinked, hesitating, wondering when Ramza would return to the campsite, feeling uncomfortable at being the spokesperson, but neither Lavian nor Alicia made any attempt to answer, so Mustadio, shifted slightly, glancing quickly to the woods then back to the Ordalian, "Um, sure, how can we help you?"

There was a rumbling from the giant as he drew breath to speak, "Thank you; first, how are the traveling conditions eastward? Were there lots of monster activity?"

"No, it was strangely quiet since Lionel; we haven't been ambushed once by any creatures." Mustadio scratched his chin as he replied.

"Did you encounter any difficulty from Goug?" asked Alicia, jumping into the conversation.

The giant turned his gaze down to the young woman, who had to force herself not to take a step back, and smiled, "I wouldn't know, lass; we didn't come from Goug. We've been traveling south for the past few days until we came upon this trail."

Alicia was puzzled, "Then where did you come from?"

He was surprised by the question, "Originally? Gallione, I suppose, although we haven't been there in years." He paused once one of the figures behind him gave him a nudge, "But that's not important; we just have one more question, then we'll let you enjoy the rest of your evening." The Ordalian shifted, running his hand over his head, and asked, "We're looking for a lost… friend… of ours. We were hoping you've seen or heard of him."

Mustadio arched an eyebrow, "We've seen lots of people, um…" he paused, and gave a small grin, "I'm sorry, we never introduced ourselves." He held out a hand, "I'm Mustadio."

The giant gave a short, rumbling chuckle, "I should be the one apologizing, Mustadio; you can call me-"

There was a loud clattering sound behind them, "Ironhide?"

As one, everyone turned to the gasping, pale Ramza, who had returned from his chore, although the bounty of his hunt now laid strewn about, the squire dropping the armload of firewood in surprise. The squire looked as if he was staring at a ghost, a mixture of fear and surprise written on his face; the giant, Ironhide apparently, looked stunned, his eyes wide and unbelieving. There was a moment of silence, the campsite frozen in time, until one of the cloaked figures, the shortest, took a few, wavering steps forward, meekly calling out, her voice filled with disbelief, "R-Ramza?"

The squire responded to his name, turning his gaze to the woman who spoke; the moment she felt his eyes on her, the woman gave a cry, "Ramza!" rushing forward, her hood falling off her to reveal a head full of long, straw colored hair with large, tear filled green eyes. In less time than a champion sprinter, the woman had closed the distance between herself and the squire, launching her body onto the startled squire's chest, immediately bursting into tears once she had wrapped her arms around his neck. Ramza froze, hesitating for a moment, a the look of fear, surprise, and shame clear on his face; slowly, as if fearing the woman sobbing on him was an illusion, he reached his hands up to lightly grasp her face, turning her tear-streaked eyes to his, whispering, "Katie?"

Katie hiccupped and nodded, her face torn between joy, sorrow, and anger, as she removed one hand from Ramza's neck, the other grasping tighter, and using the free arm to lightly punch the squire, her voice broken, "Idiot! You… idiot! Do you know… long… years… searching…" her voice eventually died down as she began to sob once again, her tiny fist still hitting Ramza's arm, her face sinking once again to his shoulder.

"…Katie…" Ramza whispered, one of his arms moving to hug the weeping woman, the other lying limp as it took the frustration inflicted upon it; he swallowed a few times, trying to think of something to say, but his mind was blank. Catching movement from ahead, Ramza moved his gaze to one of the quickly approaching cloaked figures; a feeling of dread filled Ramza as he recognized the strut, the figure not stopping until less than a pace away from the squire. With a harsh tug, the figure removed the hood, revealing a familiar, angry face; Ramza's breath caught as he stared at the exotic, captivating, and furious woman standing before him. If Ramza's brain was working correctly, he would have noticed that he was not the only one enchanted by the beauty in front of him; all of his friends were spellbound.

Ramza was not a shallow man; he saw beauty in everything and everyone. Each of his friends, Agrias, Belle, Lavian, Alicia, Olivia were each beautiful in their own ways, but the woman standing in front of him was different; her beauty was exotic, otherworldly, divine. She was no native of Ivalice, or of Ordalia; she was from across the southern sea, from Valendia, where the sun burned bright, deepening the native's skin a golden, reddish color. With long, smooth, shining raven black hair and almond shaped eyes, an enchanting violet in hue, her beauty was beyond primal urges of exoticness and lust; her beauty was absolute, catching the gaze and admiration of all. Her face was a perfect oval, an elegant nose rested above her refined lips, which were currently pressed thin with anger, mimicking the fury within her violet eyes; for a few moments her gaze bore into the squire's rusty red orbs before it happened. Quicker than a viper's strike, her hand shot up, connecting with the stunned squire's cheek, a loud and painful clap echoing in the evening air. Ramza staggered from the blow, taking a step back to keep his balance, his cheek an angry red from the slap, his eyes wide with surprise; before he could utter a word, the woman spoke, her voice angelic, "You have shamed me, _estimada_! Do not dishonor yourself again, or suffer my wrath tenfold!"

Just as sudden as her strike was, her anger dissolved, her face relaxing, her eyes cooling; Ramza, still unable to get a word in edgewise, could only blink as she leaned forward, pressing her body to his, one of her hands latching onto his free arm, the other curling around his neck, grasping his hair, holding him still. Lips blossoming, she placed kisses on his burning cheek, soothing away the ache she inflicted, muttering, "How I have missed you, _amant_…" She either did not notice or did not care about the surprised, amazed, and slightly hostile looks she got from his friends.

Ramza, able to shake of his stupor, was now quickly becoming overwhelmed; as much as he wanted to comfort Katie, and as much as he couldn't deny the warmth of the Valendian, he couldn't bare the confused, and hurt, looks he was getting from his friends. He gently pried off the Valendian first, telling her softly, "Not now Tatiana, we have much to speak about," before moving the mournful Katie into the Valendian's arms, taking a few steps back from the two women. A few moments of silence filled the air as Ramza gazed at the two, his face betraying his fear and guilt. The Valendian, Tatiana, kept her cool eyes trained on the squire, a hurt expression obvious on her face; Ramza, unable to hold the gaze, turned to Ironhide, who had remained where he stood, his face stoic, and his dark eyes watching Ramza wearily.

"You're not going to hit me too, are you?" the squire asked, his voice miserable.

"No… not yet, at least," the giant replied, a small smile slowly curling his lips, "and don't expect me to kiss it better if I do, lad."

The squire gave a light grin, releaved at the man's casual banter; if Ironhide cracked a joke, he wasn't angry. He knew these four, knew them for a long time, and had known that Katie and Tatiana would forgive him, even if the squire did not deserve the forgiveness, but Ironhide was an unknown; the fact that Ironhide would grant the squire a chance for explanation and redemption meant a lot. This still left one person, and Ramza had a good feeling of how the remaining cloaked figure felt; he hesitated for a moment, casting a quick glace to Tatiana and Katie, the former nodding her head slowly, a small frown on her face, before taking a few steps forward, calling softly, "Fletch?"

The figure stiffened at the call, not acknowledging the squire for a few moments before turning to him, pulling down her hood slowly; Fletch's gaze also stole Ramza's breath, but not because of her beauty, although the woman was certainly pleasant to gaze at. No, it was the burning hatred in Fletch's eyes that halted Ramza, digging a wound deeper than any he had received before; her face was cold and grim, her posture stiff and hostile. She didn't reply to his call, breaking her gaze after only a few moments, turning her head to look elsewhere, anywhere but the squire, an object more foul then the swamp she was in. Self loathing rose like bile in the squire's throat; he expected Fletch's anger, but it still hurt, and he never thought it would be so potent.

All of his old companions were watching the two, Katie having composed herself, her eyes red but her emotions calm; his new companions were also watching them, all but Mustadio that is, whose gaze still lingered on Tatiana. Finally, the silence and tension got to be too much, and Lavian took a step forward, voicing the question on all her friends' lips, "Could someone please explain what the hell's going on here?"

Ramza started, turning to the three, and tried to calm his face, although the three could tell he wasn't as calm as he tried to look; after a few breaths to control his voice, he answered them, "Yes… yes, I apologize Lavian, Alicia, Musadio," he nodded to all of them, his eyes still haunted, "These are old… friends of mine, comrades from my cadet days." He fell silent for a moment, hesitating, "They're the ones who I-"

"Abandoned!" snarled Fletch, startling everyone, even Ironhide, who had been keeping an eye on the woman, "Abandoned and left for dead! Fucking tossed aside like trash," she continued, taking a few aggressive steps forward, causing even more surprise to her friends, as she was normally docile. Ironhide even took a few steps sideways, preparing to grab the girl if she lunged at the squire. "Common piles of shit we were, after all your talk of friendship and respect," her voice rose, as years of pent up emotions rushed out, "They _loved_ you, Ramza! They loved their captain; we all loved our captain, and you sent them to their deaths! Traitor!" Fletch was screaming now, tears of rage pouring down her face, Ironhide holding her, partially to restrain her and partially to comfort the distressed woman, "You killed him! You killed my Selig! Murderer! It should have been you! _It should have been you!_"

Her voice gave out as she silently wept, her eyes open, glaring at the squire, her hands clutching Ironhide's bare arm, digging into his flesh, drawing blood; long moments passed in silence, most overcome by Fletch's words. Ramza's eyes burned as he stared back at her, her words tearing into his soul; he swallowed heavily, clearing his voice, before he spoke, softly and clearly, "Yes, Fletch, I did abandon you."

There were mixed reactions from his admittance; Ironhide only arched an eyebrow to show his surprise, where Fletch dug into the giant's arm deeper, gritting her teeth. Tatiana and Katie gave small gasps at his words, surprised by his show of guilt. Ramza wet his lips, asking, "Can we… talk? I have more words for you, and am sure you have your fair share to tell me." Ironhide nodded, speaking for the four, and escorted Fletch to the fire pit, taking a seat beside the woman. Ramza watched the two, and suddenly felt another stab of guilt; he could see it, it wasn't there before, but he could see the look in Ironhide's eyes as he tended to Fletch. The giant's caring gaze was not reflected in the eyes of Fletch, however; the loss of her lover, by fault of Ramza, damaged that part of her, the part that could care and love. It was just another of the long list of sins Ramza had caused, possibly ruining his large friend's chance for happiness.

He gave a small sigh, and turned to his friends, who were casting their gazes between the squire and his old companions, asking, "Could we have some privacy? I don't…" He didn't want them to hear their words, learn his secrets, know his shames, "…I just… This is something I need to do alone."

The three remained silent for a moment longer, Lavian and Mustadio exchanging glances, both picking up on the word 'captain' during Fletch's outburst, realizing that this bit of information did not fit into the squire's story he told long ago; unsure if it was more of a request or order, the both started to nod, but a single word halted their agreement.

"No," Alicia stated firmly, staring resolutely at the squire, her face flush from the sudden burst of emotion from Ramza's old friends; she, too, had caught the discrepancy in Ramza's story, and wondered what else the squire was hiding, but realized it didn't matter to her. "I'm staying with you, Ramza. Not because I don't respect your privacy, or because I mean to pry into your past, but because you're my friend; we're your friends." She took a few steps closer to him, lowering her voice slightly, "Whatever happened in your past is just that: the past. I don't care about it; I don't care about who you were then, because I know who you are now. That's all that matters to me, and I know facing these people will be hard for you," the wizard reached out and grasped his hand, "and, no matter how stubborn you are, you need us to be with you, to know that we're there for you."

Ramza remained silent for a moment, hesitating; Alicia was right, there was part of him, a significant part, that wanted them by his side as reassurance. Their friendship meant a lot to him, just as much as his friendship with his old companions; but they would find out the truth about him. Not about his actions on that day, they already knew that, but of who and what he was two years ago. After only a few breaths of internal debate, Ramza realized that, for better or worse, they should know his secret. He nodded to the wizard, a sad smile on his lips, and softly asked Mustadio to start the fire, the squire taking a seat on one of the old rocks across from his old friends. The campsite was still as the mechanic moved around, gathering the dropped firewood and stacking it in the pit; in short time, a pleasant fire warded off the nights chill. Done with his work, Mustadio took as seat next to Lavian, all waiting for Ramza to speak; he remained silent for a few seconds, watching the fire, the light dancing on his face, before he spoke. His words were simple, his voice heavy, "I'm sorry."

Silence hung over the group as Ramza turned his gaze to his friends across from him; Fletch, bristling at his brief words, snorted at the squire, her gaze angry, and Ramza could not hold it. Turning to Ironhide, he spoke again, "I have many things to be sorry for… so many things…" another pause, then, "and there are no words I can speak to express my regret. I wronged you, terribly, and I could spend a hundred lifetimes trying to apologize for my mistakes, and those lifetimes would be unable to carry the weight of my words."

Ramza sighed, running his hand through his hair, watching the giant man, "I understand your feelings of betrayal," his gaze flicked to Fletch before resting on Ironhide again, "your feelings of hate. These I understand, because they are what I deserve. I did betray you; I turned my back on you when you needed me the most and I will never be able to atone for that sin. I failed you as a leader and a friend, and have carried that weight with me every day. I made a grave, terrible mistake." There were a few moments of silence as Ramza wiped his face before facing Fletch once again, this time withstanding her fierce gaze, "A mistake that cost the lives of two of my close friends; God, Fletch, don't you think I wish it was me? I'd give anything to have Selig back by my side; he was my _friend_, Fletch, and I miss him terribly. I know he was more to you," the squire's eyes moved to the woman's clenched hands, resting on a thin, golden band wrapped around her finger, "and I know I robbed you of someone special."

As the squire spoke, Ironhide's face softened, seeing genuine regret etched in his old leader's face; Fletch was not so moved, at least by outward appearances, as her face remained cold. Tatiana, always looking elegant and regal, even if her eyes were itching and puffy, accepted his words, having already forgiven Ramza. Katie, who had always been the most emotional of the group, had started to weep again, but they were soft tears, the woman overcome by the past few hours; so it was rather surprising that her breath caught when the squire, after a moment of silence, turned his gaze to her, his eyes boring into hers. The powerful feeling of sorrow and regret staggered the woman as he spoke to her, his voice broken, "I understand the hatred, but, by God, I don't understand you."

Katie's eyes blurred as Ramza slipped of his seat, kneeling in front of the small woman, "Why? Why don't you hate me, Katie? How can you look at me with sorrow and joy? I killed your _brother_! I killed your family! How can you forgive me?"

Katie choked back a sob before grasping the squire with wavering hands, pulling him up and embracing him; Bernard, the brave knight who had perished that day, was her brother, her twin, and with him gone, she was the last of her bloodline. Most of her family had been killed by the plague that struck when she was eight; she, her mother, and her brother were the only survivors from their town. With the death of her mother five years ago, Katie and Bernard were the only surviving members of their family tree. When they had joined the Gariland Military Academy, they were outsiders in the prestigious school. It was Ramza who had befriended them and took them under his wing, using all his influence to keep the two siblings together during their training and beyond. The three shared a close bond, as close, or even closer, then the one Ramza had forged with Delita; the squire was the brother that they had never had. Ramza was family, and with the squire's words, Katie's heart ached, for she had never told him.

Clutching the squire tight, Katie whispered to the broken man, "You're wrong Ramza, you did not kill my family; _you're_ my family! The second brother I lost that day, lost until I found you today." She had to stop for a moment, burying her head into his shoulder and neck, trying to control her voice, "I miss Bernard so much… part of me went missing… but part of me returned, Ramza. I found my family again, and I thank _God_ that we found you." For a few minutes no one spoke, Katie comforting Ramza as he silently wept in her arms, overwhelmed by her words; with his regret drained, and his emotions calmed, Ramza withdrew from her embrace, smiling warmly at the small woman, planning a light kiss on one of her cheeks, whispering his thanks.

He stood, facing his old friends, his face smooth, and addressed Ironhide, "I've spoken my peace about the past. But I am curious; what brings you so far south?"

Ironhide shifted, watching his friends around him; they had all agreed about it before, but he wanted to make sure that their minds had not changed. Tatiana and Katie nodded, the small woman smiling; Fletch, who had not moved her gaze from the squire, hesitated a moment when she felt the giant's eye on her. Finally, her face softened, if only slightly, the hate cooling within her brown orbs, and she moved her head slightly; honestly, she didn't agree with the choice, but she refused to leave her friends, and stated she would honor their choice. The large man turned back to Ramza, giving the squire a grin, his voice rumbling in the air, "We've spent many nights deciding what to do after you left, Squire. We wondered, lost, for weeks, dazed by the death of our brethren and loss of our leader." He paused, watching Ramza, who stood resolutely in front of the four, his chin high, and his eyes bright, "We disobeyed orders, and our unit was dissolved from the Hokuten army; by grace of your brother were we spared from death. But above all, each of us swore an oath to you, an oath that we hold sacred."

Ironhide stood, the three women following suit, "There is nothing left for us beside the oath; beside you. Long ago did we decide this action, to search for you, to hear your words, to grant forgiveness, if you are worthy of it." The giant took a few steps forward, resting his large hand on Ramza's shoulder, "You're my friend, Ramza, my Bladebrother, my commander, and we need you, just as you need us." Releasing the squire, Ironhide knelt, Tatiana, Katie, and, after a moment of hesitation, Fletch kneeling with the giant, "By steel and blood, magic and might, we are yours to command, Captain Ramza Beoulve."

Silence hung in the air for a few moments, then a collective gasp from the three behind the squire; all three had heard of the Beoulves, the family name as familiar as the Atkaschas. The Beoulves are one of the most influential and powerful families in the entire kingdom, their ancestors even holding the crown for a few generations long ago; and Ramza was one of them, was of high noble blood.

The squire winced at his birth name, and knew he had to speak with his friends, but first he had his old companions to deal with; with a slight smile, he spoke to the four, "I'm no Captain anymore," reaching down, he pulled Ironhide up, "but with a warm heart do I welcome you. I would be honored to have you travel with me once again."

The giant grinned, clasping Ramza's forearm while the squire grasped his, the action feeling right, as if the world was in alignment once again. He offered his hand to each of the women, and once they had all stood he spoke to them, quietly, but firmly, "I won't fail you again."

With his own oath sworn, he turned to the amazed looks of his friends, giving them a bashful smile; Lavian beat her friends to the punch, asking with an outrageous voice, "You're a Beoulve?"

Ramza nodded, his face serious, "Yes, but I renounced that name long ago."

"Why?" asked Alicia, her curiosity overcoming the hurt she felt that Ramza had not trusted them with this secret.

"The Beoulves no longer hold the ideals of our ancestors. We have played in politics for too long, corrupting our morals. I would have no part in it." He answered quietly.

"…Why didn't you tell us?" was the wizard's next question.

Ramza was silent for a few moments, "My name shames me; I did not wish to be judged by my bloodline, but by whom I am. Ramza Beoulve is an arrogant aristocrat with an inflated ego; Ramza Lugria is a cold hearted mercenary, lackey of Gafgarion. Both are dead. I am only Ramza."


End file.
